22 Indian Forest Records. [^ 0L - HI- 
“ The use of these imported Creosoted pine sleepers has been dis¬ 
couraged by the Consulting Engineer to the India Office, 
and no sleepers of this kind have been used of recent years 
on State Railways. Information regarding other Rail¬ 
ways is very scanty, but it is known that in former years 
the Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway imported 
considerable numbers of Creosoted pine sleepers, such 
sleepers were also used by the Bhavnagar-Gondal-Junagad- 
Porbandar Railway and to a limited extent by the Great 
Indian Peninsula Railway.” 
Dr. Warfch in his report cites certain instances of the durability 
of Creosoted imported pine sleepers. He quotes one case in Madras 
where 30 per cent, failed within 12 months, on the other hand others 
lasted 7 and in some cases 9 years. Mr. Sibley, Chief Engineer, East 
Indian Railway, writing in 1870 stated that imported Creosoted sleepers 
gave entire satisfaction, and cites a case where the sleepers lasted 13 
years. 
Turning to the report of the International Railway Congress of 1902 
on the causes of the deterioration of wooden sleepers, Appendix F., India, 
we find that the Bombay, Baroda and Central Indian Railway give the 
life of Creosoted pine as 6 to 8 years, while the Nizam's Railway puts 
their life at 10 years. 
Summary. 
As has already been pointed out, the durability of Creosoted timber 
is not only dependent on the species but very largely on the way the 
impregnation is carried out, as also on the quality of the Creosote 
employed. . . 
As far as India is concerned, the difficulty to be overcome in intro- 
ducing the Creosoting process appears to be the cost of the Creosote and 
until the product is prepared from Indian Coal-tar the prospects of working 
it on an economic basis seem to be limited. The question whether the 
hardwoods produced by our Indian forests are capable of absorbing 
sufficient quantities of any antiseptic, in order to render them serviceable 
for railway slepeers, is question of general importance which will be 
discussed in Chapter IV 
Lastly, it is worthwhile recording the opinion of Hauptmann Malen* 
kovic as to the possibility of introducing the Creosoting process into 
( 95 ) 
