34 



iudifference of American engineers to tlie questiou of metal track. The fact that the 

 'Xuestion of the future timber supply is one of serious import does not seem to be 

 realized, althougli the reports of the forestry division of the United States Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture show that use and waste are playing havoc with a supply that 

 cannot, under the present system (or want of system) of forestry in this country, he 

 renewed in proportion to the demand. It has always seemed to me surprising that 

 American engineers, who are usually in th^e Tan of any great step in the j)rofession, 

 should have paid so little attention to this very important matter ; important both 

 as to the financial economy and the practical efficiency of the track. In my opin- 

 ion steel ties should be used as the standard for first-class track, and not merely 

 as a substitute for timber when the latter becomes scarce or expensive. For in- 

 stance, on such a road as the projected New York and Boston Eapid Transit line, 

 Y>'hich is intended to be an independent line, and which will probably, when it ma- 

 terializes, start out with a heavy and rapid traffic, steel ties should be laid down in the 

 first place. The same holds good for existing trunk lines, on whicb steel ties should 

 be introduced, as an advancement in railroad engineering and a step towards econ- 

 omy. 



Taken as a whole, the results of experience have been satisfactory, and the type 

 which has been found to be the best is the cross-tie of the familiar reversed trough sec- 

 tion. Cast-iron ''bowl " sleepers are much used in new countries, and longitudinal 

 iron sleepers, are still used to some extent in Austria and Germany, but the cross-tie 

 of trough section is the best type, as has been proved by experience and careful tests. 

 In consequence this form of tie is being more and more widely adopted, numerous va- 

 riations of section and various styles of rail fastenings being used, in accordance with 

 theideasofdifierent engineers. In England several railroads are using steel cross-ties 

 to a greater or less extent, but in consequence of the engineers keeping to the double- 

 headed rail in chairs the track is very complicated and expensive, representing money 

 wasted and lying idle in much useless metal, whereas with a good flange rail a metal 

 track might be obtained more economical and more efficient than the present style of 

 rails and chairs on wooden sleepers. Experience has shown that the ends should be 

 closed, but in quite a number o'f cases open-end ties are used. With open ends, of 

 course, the ties are more liable to lateral displacement, as they do not present the 

 area of resistance presented by a wooden tie or a closed end. 



As will be seen by Mr. Post's paper, the Netherlands State Eaiiroad Company has 

 made a systematic series of trials of different types of metal ties, and the very valua- 

 ble and important result of these trials has been the designing of the mild steel rolled 

 tie of trough section, with varying thickness, now well known as the ''Post "tie, 

 which has been adopted to a very considerable extent on European lines. Mr. Post 

 has bee-n fortunate in having charge of a road owned by a progressive and far-seeing 

 corporation, which has grasped the economic x^urposes of metal track, and encour- 

 aged its engineer in his work of investigation. The comparisons of the different sys- 

 tems were gone into most thoroughly, account being taken of the amount of labor, 

 time, and expense involved in maintenance, renewals, and repairs, and therefore Mr. 

 Post has been able, gradually but steadily, to improve the form of tie, until he has ar- 

 rived at the present form, which is correct in theory and successful in practice : it is 

 easily manufactured, and has proved in service its advantages in point of economy 

 and efficiency. The trouble experienced with early forms of ties was that they failed 

 by cracking, generally between the holes for rail attachments, and if made thick 

 enough to prevent cracking they av ere too heavy and expensive. With the "Post" tie 

 the thickness is increased at the rail seat, giving ample strength where required, but 

 without any undue excess of weight. This strengthening is secured in the operation 

 of rolling by the use of special machinery, aud in the same operation is secured the 

 inclination of the ends which gives the rails an iiiward cant of one in twenty, in ac- 

 cordance with Europi\an practice. iNIar.y European steel works have orders on hand 

 for '-Post" ties. 



