Part I.] Pearson : 'An fhrvJic treatment of Sleepers. 
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(7) Kecord of Indian sleeper woods Creosoted in England and 
America, and laid in the lines to test their durability. 
(For details of durability tests see Appendix VI and for details of treatment and cost see 
Indian Forest Records, Vol. VI, Part IV, pp. 92 to 97.) 
Fifty Metre Gauge and forty-six Broad Gauge ‘ Gurj an ’ {Dipterocar- 
pus turhinatus) sleepers were sent home from the Andamans to Messrs, 
George Black and Sons of Berwick-on-Tweed for treatment. These 
sleepers absorbed 11 lbs. and 21 lbs. of Creosote per sleeper respect- 
ively, and after treatment were sent out to India and laid in the 
Eastern Bengal State Railway, about 5| years ago. Both lots are 
in excellent condition, none have been rejected and none to date have 
failed imder the rail seat, which may be anticipated when dealing with 
Dipterocarp sleepers, when laid without bearing plates. However, in 
this instance it is as yet too early to form an opinion as the sleepers 
have only been in the line a relatively short period of time, 
{i) Indian Spruce and Silver fir Creosoted in England. 
Six Spruce and six Silver fir Broad Gauge sleepers were sent home by 
Messrs. Millars’ Timber and Trading Company and creosoted after which 
they were brought out again and laid in the Rohri Section of the North 
Western Railway. It would hardly be worth recording the above fact, 
which deals with so few sleepers, were it not that as far as is known this 
is the only instance of Indian Spruce and Silver fir sleepers having been 
creosoted and laid for durability tests in Indian Railways. The subject 
is of further interest as proposals have been made to treat these species 
of timber on an extensive scale. The sleepers were treated by the ‘ full 
cell ’ or ‘ straight ’ process and only took up very little creosote, as might 
have been expected. The Silver fir after a six-hour treatment absorbed 
9^ lbs. and the Spruce lbs. per Broad Gauge sleeper. The writer in- 
spected these sleepers and cut some open after they had been rejected 
and found the oil penetration very limited. Of the Silver fir, four were 
removed after 4 years and 9 months and two were still in the line after 
five years. The cause of rejection was white ant attack, the outside or 
impregnated portion being sound and the interior destroyed. Of the 
Spruce sleepers, one lasted about four years, four lasted 4 years and 9 
months and one a little over 5 years ; the rejections were solely due to 
white ant attack. The most interesting point about these experiments 
is that the rail cut after four to five years was insignificant and the spikes 
held well in both species, which, considering the texture and relatively 
softness of these timbers, is surprising. As stated above the cause of 
rejection was want of depth of penetration of the creosote and consequent 
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