American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1825-04-15

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Il MATHEW CAREY, !
81 JOSEPH HEMPHILL, s.t;on Tan,
j RICHARD PETERS, Jun. mira
l STEPHEN DUNCAN
Il WILLIAM STRICKLAND
GERARD RALsros, Corresponding Secretary.
Abstract Of Review of the plans submitted to the High
land Society, Edinburgh, for the premium reward
i piece of plate, valued fifty guincas, for the bes
essay, model, drawing, which might tend to the ad
| vancement of the Railway system.
! Mr.. Robert Stevenson, civil engineer, at the re
quest OF the Highland Society, has selected an his
torlca account of rail roads, together with certain
modes suggested for eleva,ing loads from one leve
| to another.
He remarks, that the government has. with the
most enlightened policy. advanced ole hall the nc
cessary funds for opening roads in the north of Scot
land, while the landed proprietors have contributed
the other.
| The wealth of England enables her TO stand I'm
rlvaed in the formation of her water ways CT Du
merous canals. BY these the horse load has beer
much extended, and the conveyance of merchandise
greatly facilitated. In Scotland and Wales, her les.
wealthy neighbours have endeavoured to suppl,
his want, by the construction OF numerous raj
ways, which are perhaps better adapted than canals
to the undulatng surface of their respective coun
'res; while they are more economical and more
generally applicable to the ordinary purposes Of
commercial traffic.
Lord Keeper Guilford, in 1876, thus describe.
he wagons and rail ways -" The manner OF the
carriage is by laying rails of timber from the col
Iery to the river exactly straight and parallel and
bulky carts are made with four rollers fitting these
"ails whereby the carriage is easy that one horse
will draw down four or five chaldron OF Goals, and
IS an immense benefit to the coal me rchants''
The method OF bringing Goals from the wall face
was lv inD hv ,I,a
production OF cast iron rail roads below ground, IN
place OF wooden ones. For this improve ment the
mining interest is indebted to Mr.. John Curr, who
introduced them about the year 1776, into The duke
OF Norfolk's works, near Sheffield.
The wooden rail ways of the present day ave
composed Of pieces Of timbers called sieepers about
feet long and inches square, laid across the road
at distance OF IL or "a inches from each other ;
and upon these sleepers, other pieces Of timber.
called rails, OF or inches square, are laid in two
parallel lines, feet distant from each other.
The wagon wheels are constructed with groove
10 correspond with the rails, and run with little ric
hon. The friction in some instances is materially
lessened by covering the wooden rails with MALE.
able or cast iron.
The rail way between Kmarnock and Troon hsr
oour is laid with flat plate rails of feet in length
and inches broad. weighing about 90 lbs each ;
having ledge or fange rising perpendiculary on
1900 o.oS Va .hS iau doout 4 inCncS, winch Is
raised in the centre, and declining at both ends of
each rail to add to its strength.
They are somewhat broader at both ends to make
them lie more solid on blocks of stone from to 10
inches in thickness, and more than foot square in
base and surface. The ground, upon which these
blocks OF stone are laid is beaten down so as to give
them solid bed The iron rails are bedded level
on the blocks, and hole about inch in diameter
is is made inches deep in the centre of each block
The hole is filled with plug of oak. The rails
have square notch formed in the centre at both
ends OF each OF the rails, about half an inch on the
Top, and somewhat narrower on the under side .
ne ends OF the rails placed together. The
ho'ches IN each form one square hole, which being
placed over the plug of wood in the centre Of the
stone nail is driven into it, the head of which ex
ac'ly ILLS up the hole in the ends of the two rails
the holes are counterSunk, and the heads of the
nails are flush with the top of the rail.
he space or horse track between the rails is
tett wlde being filed with broken stone I'D to the
sole OF the rails but on the outside it is nearly TO
the top OF the Jlanges. This is double rail way
and the distance between the two lcavs on roads is
|equal to the widM Of the road. A horse NAV
travel IN the middle space with wheel on the inne,
range of each of the roads.
The rail noiO generally introduced is chilled the
ledge rail- and consists Of bar of cast iron about
inch IN breadth Tor the seat of the wheel. and
from 8 to feet in length, and Of depth CORES
Pondng with the weight to be carried These bars
are set up on edge, instead of being laid flat. and
are therefore much stronger, aceight for ,cg;rht.
than the Hat laid bars The edge rail is atop eiher
Tree from the grea, disadvantage arising from the