12 



this latter defect was probably due to the old-fashioned '• gib and cot- 

 ter'! fastening employed. These ties \yere laid in 1862 and following 

 y.ears, and had all been taken ont in 1872. Good results have been ob- 

 tained with metal ties on the Algerian system controlled by this com- 

 pany. (See "Africa.") 



The Northern Eailway laid trial sections of its Belgian lines with the 

 "Severac" and "Bernard" ties in 1885, and laid 10,000 of the former 

 on its French lines in 1888. 



The Western Eailway, which used the old double-headed rail, has ex- 

 perimented with iron ties upon which the rail chairs were cast ; about 

 1.3 miles were laid in 1887. 



The Eastern Railway has tried steel ties with wooden cushions or 

 bearing blocks under the rails, and has also laid about one hundred of 

 the "Post" ties. 



Holland. — In this country probably the most extensive and most valu- 

 able, because continuous and systematic, trials have been made, and the 

 trials have resulted in improvements which have served to develop the 

 now well-known and extensively-used "Post" steel cross-tie of varying 

 thickness, the thickness being increased under the rail seat. The 

 " Post" tie, the invention of Mr. Post, the engineer of permanent way 

 of the iS'etherlands State Eailway Company, is economical both in con- 

 struction (owing to its requiring a minimum of shop-work, all of which 

 adds to the cost of a tie) and in maintenance, and has proved very 

 efiScient in service. 



On the Netherlands State Eailways the experiments have been in 

 progress since 1865, and the steel tie designed by Mr. Post and im- 

 proved by him from time to time in the light of practical experience 

 has been adopted on this system. In the early jDart of 1888 the system, 

 which comprises 910 miles of road, had 91 miles of track laid with these 

 ties. Of 10,000 ties laid in 1865, 9,550 were still in the track and were 

 expected to last twenty years more, although they were of the earlier 

 type of the tie, which has since been improved upon. As to breakages, 

 out of 162,634 ties laid, not one had broken. 



In the early part of 1888 there were in use 457,300 ties (about 23,800 

 tons) of the "Post" type in Holland, Belgium, France, Germany, 

 Switzerland, and Asia (colonies) ; about 272,700 ties (about 12,700 tons) 

 more, iucluding ties for narrow-gauge railways and for the rack rail- 

 way' in Sumatra, were being manufactured; making a total of about 

 730,000 ties, or 36,500 tons, of this one type. (See page 25 ) 



Bclgiuin.—Ou the Belgian State Eailway system the "Post" tie has 

 bec-n laid, but it is heavier than that used on the Netherlands State 

 Eailwa}' and heavier than the inventor considers necessary or desirable. 

 It should be noted that it is not economical to use more metal than ex- 

 perience has shown to be necessary. Experiments have been made on 

 rather a large scale, and in 1887 three types were experimented with 

 on various lines, and one of these types ap])eared to meet the require-- 

 meuts for fast and heavy tratiSc, In 1885 it was decided to put down 



