118 
The following table, giving the weights and prices used by the differ- 
ent German roads, may be of interest: 
Name of railway. 
ot tie. 
A 
.a. verage 
of metal 
Average 
price 
per tie. 
Pounds. 
126. 5 
$31 68 
$1 79 
126.5 
30 90 
1 75 
Same, New Hilf pattern for main lines 
98 
30 96 
1 35 
Same, for branch lines 
88 
30 96 
1 22 
Links Rheinisch. Railroad, old pattern 
34 48 
1 19 
1)0 
34 48 
1 70 
106. 5 
30 70 
1 46 
114.5 
34 48 
1 77 
120 
36 77 
1 97 
Recbte Oder TJfer 
101 
42 08 
1 90 
98 
31 68 
1 38 
Altona-Kill 
101 
1 60 
Wurtemberg State lines 
130 
37 00 
2 14 
FASTENINGS. 
The subject of fastenings is of greater importance as regards the pre- 
vention of shocks between the rails and ties than in preserving the 
gauge. Whatever the method adopted for attaching the rails to the 
ties, it must be better than that hitherto employed for wooden ties, and 
keys are decidedly preferable to bolts, the threads of which rust out so 
that the nuts cannot be tightened. Yet there are systems of fastening 
steel ties which are safer and more easily maintained than those for 
wooden ties. After many years of trial, the Netherlands State Bail- 
way Company have decided to keep to bolts as the means of attach- 
ment between the rail and sleeper. In 1865 they laid 10,000 iron 
sleepers, fastening them by 4 bolts (0.42 inch diameter) to each tie. In 
1883, for the first time, it was necessary to renew 2,000 of these 40,000 
bolts, and in August, 1885, the remaining 38,000 were still in use. This 
shows that the bolts 0.86 inch in diameter now used will be satisfac- 
tory. The bolt holes in the ties are square, except that the corners are 
slightly rounded. It is proposed to retain the cast iron chair, which 
has rendered good service, especially with Viguoles rails, and to con- 
nect each pair of chairs by two bars of Z-section, capable of standing a 
deflection of nearly 4 tons per square inch, keyed to them so as to form 
a trough turned either upwards or downwards. 
The points for consideration in fastenings are: 
(1) By the insertion of a plate between the hard rail-foot and the 
softer tie, the latter should be saved and its natural straightness pre- 
served, avoiding injuries in the shaping by rolls, in bending, or other- 
wise. 
(2) A rational and direct transmission of the attacking forces from 
the rail to the tie should be effected. 
(3) The fastenings must be such as to keep the gauge constant in the 
