Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1848-02-25


after the introduction of plank roads into
Canada, their width varied from l6 to "a
feet for double, and from 8 to ~ feet for
single track; but after several years expert
ment, they are now discarding the greater
and adopting the lesser width,-say l6 #.
for a double, 8 #. for n single track. The
travel would all be near the center on an s
#. track; consequently the superintendent
weight ofthe vehicles would rest near the
center of the bed, pressing and keeping the
supcrstructure firmly and evenly down ;
while on wider tracks, the inclination of
vehicles to either side would tilt and loosen
the opposite ends fthe plank.
Mr.. TalcOtt, engineer on the Illinois canal,
who examined the Canadian plank roads
in 1914, says that 8 through and in the Vi
entity of the principal towns, the plank arc
l6ft for double, and t,Ceire f. for single
track" But according to Mr.. Geddes and
Mr.. Alvord, the Is it. double track is now
being abandoned, in almost all cases, and
two feet single tracks, with a 4 #. wide
turn out path gradedup between them, sub
stituted in their stead.
gentleman quoted in Ellsworth's pa
tent office report, says that on the Toronto
plank roads, after years use, " the top sur
face of the plank was found to be worn in
the center for the breadth Of Z #. only, and
to the depth Of 5-8th of an inch :" the rest
of the surface, say feet, (the entire track
being IL feet was almost as untouched as
when the planks came from the saw of
course one.third Of this planking was use
less, and One-third the expenditure on ac-
count of it dead loss 1t has become Il
settled principle, that travel on all roads
concentrate within a narrow range-say
within a width of Z or s feet near the cen
ter ola plank road it follows then that all
over feet for single track is, for all prac-
teal purposes, labor and material thrown
away.
Mr.. Geddes recommends that the ends
of the pIanks should not be laid CUen,-
because, in such case, the wheels Of loaded
wagons, in passing from the turnout path
to the plank, would be liable to scrape
along the edge and make deep rut there
before rising up, which would rapidly deep
en- until it might become extremely difficult
for 4 heavy vehicle TO mount the planked
way at all. AS remedy. say one in every
three of the panks should project two or
three inches beyond the outer edge of the
track, so that - the wheel could not move
over two feet ahead (supposing the planks
one foot in widlh) at any point, without
coming square agIinstthc projecting plank
when the vehicle would mount up readily.
Although in Canada the ends of the
planks are, in almost all eases, pinned or
spiked to the sills. Mr.. Gcddes deems the
operation useless; and the Detroit Free
Press correspondent says the only use Of
pins or spikes to keep the planks from being
floated of by water, where The track should
chance to be submerged.
Mr.. Charles Whtdescy of Cleveland,
Ohio, who examined ali the plank roads
N Canada. says the panks there, whether
of pine, hemlock or oak, are sawed three
inches thick, and eight 10 fifteen inches in
width.
Diverse opinions have been held in re-
gard to this part of the structure: The
NiccperS. SAYS the New York Senate re-
port both in size and in number. have
varied and changed since the first intro
duction Of plank roads. At first they were
laid but a few feet apart, five or SIX being
placed under track of Is f. road, and
were six inches square. They have been
gradually reduced. both IN size and NAM
her, 50 that now under an #. track two
sIecper3 1 inches square are considered
abundanty sufficient; and the necessity
Of hlving many aud heavy slrcpcrs is
proved not 10 exist, as the roads laid upon
the light slecpcrs at present used are rs
solid and endure rs well as any roads ever
built"
On short road near Toronto. NO sills NJ
all are used. the planks resting Immediately
on the bed OF carh-which, to he sure, had
been remarkably well pr>parcd-and the
grade and form of the road is preserved
nearly as exact as on other roads where siis
are used.
Mr. Judson, L. s. Engineer, who super
intends. we believe, the Oswcgo and Rome
plank road SAYS that the sirngcrs should
he so laid as to come directly under the
carriage wheels, so as to give a continuous
bearing on them
Relative to the cost per mile Of a plank
road. the report gives a minute detail Of
the cost Of roads of this kind which have
been constructed in the United States and
Canada. The average cost of the Canada
PLANK roads per mile Is 81, 500. The Cana
ia roads, however, are built wider and are
more extensively constructed than those
which have recently been built in the |.
States. The actual cost of the SaIina
plank road was Slls7 per mile. Mr..
Geddes. the acting engineer. previous TO its
commencing, made the following estimate Of
the COST
COST FER MILE OF SALIVA ROAD.
>uis 10y 1 inch sc1utng, lioso
Plank IL. lorg { m. thick ldS,92o
~ s. oo per " $4,000 S2I5
Laying ana Grading. 81 60 Per rod. 500
Engineering >upernteudance &c. % per cen; l02
Gates and (1ate.houScS 100