309 
Improvement in Mail Hoads, 
to the public, by adopting the said method, with necessa- 
* ry remarks on the principle on which it is founded. The 
leading rail or tram-plate has neither tenon nor mortice 
over the plug. The stop-plate terminates the specimen, 
which stop-plate should go in with some degree of tight- 
ness when laid for actual use, but in the present case that 
force is not necessary, as the wooden blocks, by a car- 
riage of upwards of two hundred miles, may in some 
small degree be misplaced. I hope any impediment of 
that nature will be rectified or allowed for. I wish it to 
be understood, that a stop-rail is intended to be placed at 
every thirty yards, at which distance any repairs may 
be made within ten minutes, which by the present mode 
frequently occupies more than twice that time, exclusive 
of disturbing in some measure the line of road. By my 
method, the plates have a certain degree of play, which is 
absolutely necessary to avoid that breakage, which too 
frequently takes place when they are fixed with nails and 
plugs. 
The plates which I send have been fixed in stone 
blocks, and are nearly as rough as when taken from the 
sand. If I am favoured with any mark of the society’s 
approbation, I shall hold myself bound to transmit such 
farther communications on this subject as may be re- 
quired by them, or any person desirous of adopting my 
plan. I am, &c. 
Charles Le Caan. 
Llanelly , Carmarthenshire , May 12, 1806. 
Sir— I have considered the improvement made by you 
in the specimen exhibited of a new design of a tram-plate, 
and am of opinion, that much advantage may be derived 
to tram roads by the adoption of your plan, in preventing 
the temptation of stealing the wrought iron nails, with 
Vgl. ii, z z 
