The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1848-06-07
EXTRACT
From Col. Gddsden's Report 10 the Stockholders
of the South Carolina Rail Road.
THE CAMDEN BRANCH.

The Camden Branch, as an unfinished Eoad.
in the progress of completion, and constructed
with all the lights which experience has shed
on the most approved mode reconstruction your
President had hoped would have ESCAPED re
proof The Committee, however condemn the
dispensing with The longitudinal and sub sill
"hitherto considered indispensable" We have
adverie,; to the difference of opinions prevailing
among engineers on the snperstrucure OF Rail
Roads. The longitudinal timbers were hi'her.
to adopted to give the strength which light iron
rail could moi impart. The modern improve.
mems 20 to substitute the strength of iron tor
wood. in heavy rail secured by spikes 10
cross lie. The longitudinal subsill. so far
from being the usual plan, and the Camden
Road the firsl to abandon it, was first expert
,ncnted on in the Slonington, and subsequent
ly in the Columbia Road Here it was proved
Detective, and not answering the object lnten.
ded. being very expensive mode OF construc-
tion, it was not adopted on The Camden Road.
The sub.sil is not Indispensable, nor has it been
found to give the support the Committee sup.
pose. Il is sunk below the bed OF the Road
in Mtrcnch, and the cross ties laid on it, touch.
ing only on their ends, and deriving most OF
their support in the centre from The gradua'
lions of the Road. This sub-s in the cuts hes
been found TO affect the tlrniu4gc: The water
on the Road he'd settles in the lfenenes I"='" 70
receive it, and the action ofthe engine 'mparts,
in wet weather churning motion TO the SILL
converting into mush all beneath it. The ioun'
dation then fails, and, instead ofthe the sill sup
porting the cross ties, it shrinks from H. ana as
the tie is supported by the centre o the road bed
it cannot follow the sill in its sinkngs' but re-
mains suspended al its ends.
In several ofthe cuts on the Columbia Road
the only remedy for the disappearance OF the
sill was the substitution Of second between
the frat and the cross tic. and in some lnstan.
ces at great labor and cost. To ascertain when
and where the sills had thus failed in the sup.
port intended, becamc work ot search. ana
the compact settings of the whole Road bed
had to he disturbed to ascertain the depth TO
which the sill had sunk, and to remedy the Ine'
qualities in the Road bed occasioncd thereby.
Aware that this. with many other modes OF con-
struction were still matters of Speculation 'nv".
wing much disag agreement ofopinion among En-
ginecrs-afier consultation with the scientific
and efficient Engineer in charge of the Cam.
den Branch, it was recommended to and ap.
proved by the direction that SererdL OF the
ne;c Roads should he tested in sections on the
Camden Branch, that we might be able to de-
eide which was most perfect, and offered The
best guarantees for good working track.
The first section is built after one of the plans
of the New York and Erie Road, and has the
heavy mud sill, acting likewise as long'udi.
nal sll so highly commended by the "Com.
mitee."
The second section is of Trestc work over
the Waterce, and the R Ill is attached to lon
gilndinal sill.
The third section now in progress. and which
has been objected To by the Commllte-con'
forms to the OLD most farored plan of Cross lie
Road, where the Iron Rail is Insufficient weight
as in this instance. to dispense with the longi.
tudinal sill. The plan is cheap and simple ot
construction and easily repaired. 1t has been
greatly improved in this case by adopting
the sawed Cross Tie OF uni form length, breadth
and hickness-sawrd 10 the same gauge, the
level of the road bed is preserved on the Rail
without dubbng, and any one piece may be re-
moved and replaced without disturbing IFS
neighbor or The Iron Rail. The cross ties on
the Camden Branch are wider than usual, and
are placed at regu ar distances moi involving in.
tervals exceeding 22 inches. The road is lite.
rally Roored, and the bearing (which is consM-
cred the perfection Of Rail Road) is unequal.
ed by any Rail Way in the United States.
This mode of strurture is further recomme nded
!!.v there being no couccalrd timber. The whole
structure is exposed TO daily inspection and de-
ects may be detected an as soon removed.
The fourth, and last plan of construction Is Is
the Heron Track of lattice Road Bed. II
has been highly spoken of by the managers OF D,
the Reading Road. on which there is small
section in operation and those in charge OF Inc
New York and Erie Road have adopted this
plan on portion of their track.
These are the views in confirmation OF what
has been said in relation TO want OF uniformity
in another part of this Report, which has Infiu.
enced your President in experimenting on and
sanclionng various plans with view to c"nci'''
sions, from experience, more settled than al pre-
sent exist as TO the most perfect sup"rstructnre.
Where Company have the ability to select
the. most important element of perfection,
hedby rail capable in itself Of sustaining the
weight to be applied on it, the simple ride cross
tic road, adjusted on firm bed-as on the Cam
dem Branch-wilI be found best to stand the
test of service. But where old structures have
to he improved, and expedients rcsorted to, to
coun,eract the acknowledged defects of light
on the spot, and vigan, in detecting errors and
in applying remedies. We feel assured, there.
fore, that could the Committee have the oPorlu-
nifty of re.examina,ion, and OF reviewing of
oniu;ons thcy wouId reverse some of the con
clusions to which they came; and would. most
rail. such as on the Hamburg road, the wooden
structure must vary with the experience Of those
Of all. do Justice to a construction which chal.
lenges a comparison with any ether structure,
with similar weight of rail, in the United States.
While on this subject the President, with much