eagiiieers, managers^ matiiifactiirerSj etc., in all parts of the world, ask- 

 ing for iuforination, and in each case a copy of these questions has been 

 inclosed in order to show the character of the information desired. At 

 the commencement of this comprehensive system of correspondence I 

 was not very sanguine as to the results, but after about a year's expe- 

 rience I find that they have been eminently satisfactory and have far 

 exceeded my expectations. There have been written about two hundred 

 and fifty separate letters of api^lication, and replies have been received 

 to about one hundred and twenty ; some in brief, but a large number in 

 detail, accompanied by plans, etc. These answers required acknowl- 

 edgment and sometimes a request for further information, and this has 

 entailed a very large amount of personal correspondence ; aggregating, 

 in ail, betw^een three hundred and fifty and four hundred foreign letteis. 

 This work has been rather laborious, but the matter collected has been 

 well worth the trouble, while the work has resulted in the getting to- 

 gether of a mass of information which has probably never before been 

 gathered for purposes of comi^ilation and comparison. The home and 

 foreign technical journals have also been closely studied. The varied 

 information thus obtained, with details of the various systems experi- 

 mented with or adopted, it is intended to present in full in the main re- 

 port; meanwhile, I am continuing the investigations. 



As the particulars respecting the length of line laid with metal track 

 lia.ve been obtained from many separate companies and officers in many 

 countries, it is difficult to even approximate the total mileage ; but the 

 figures given in the succeeding pages will prove the great extent of 

 such track in the aggregate. 



In Europe it is the usual practice, in addition to the use of metal 

 track for railways, to use steel or iron longitudinals or cross ties, or cast- 

 iron "chairs," for street railway tracks, using no wood at all, but only 

 metal and concrete. Steel ties are also extensively used for contrac- 

 tors' tracks, portable railways, narrow-gauge and light railways, etc., in 

 various i)arts of the world. 



With regard to this countr^^, very little has been done, although from, 

 time to time a few ties of different patterns have been put down experi- 

 mentally. The Pennsylvania Railroad has tried the steel tie used on 

 the London and Northwestern Railway of England, but the trial in- 

 cluded the entire system of English track,* with its objectionable dou- 

 ble headed rail supported in chairs; a form of track which it is to be 

 hoi)edwill never be introduced in this country. This trial does not count 

 for much, especially as the tie complete is very expensive, owing to the 

 amount of shop-work. (See "England.'")! The Boston and Maine Rail- 

 road has tried a few wrought-iron plate ties, and the New York Central 



^FoT description of this, see my paper on "English Railroad Track," in the Trans- 

 actions of the American Society of Civil Engineers, June, 1888. 



t Four or live dift'ereut types of ties have been tried by the Pennsylvania Railroad 

 Company, all of wliich have been taken out, Avitli tlic exception of those obtained 

 from the London and Northwestern Railway (England), which, as stated, have been 



