The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-09-01
ETkL TIES ON RAILWAYS
Engineer Who Thinks They Will
Supplant Wood in the Near
Future.
mort OF Mr.. Tratman, Of the De-
partment of Agriculture,
Recently Printed.
10 Experiments Made in Different
Countries by Inventors--Opi
of Mr.. Walter Katie.

IL q branch Of the Investigation which
department of agriculture, under direc-
b of Secretary j. NJ. Rusk, is making
b the relation of railroads to forest sup
|,s, there has just been published by the
|,artment an exhaustive report upon the
Institution of Metal for Wood in Rail-
Ia Ties' by E. E. Russell Tratman, civil
|.ineer. The invasion, and in some parts
THE world, as shown by this report, the
,astation of forests for railroad supplies,
|, been more in the quest for ties, which
/ England are called sleepers, than for
b or any other form of building timber,
|s the New York Times. The inquiry into
! question of the substitution of metal
/ wood ties is aimed therefore at the
LET cause of complaint from the stand
int of the department, which represents
demand for the protection and preser-
ion of the forests. But the inquiry dis
sed much besides discussions of the hypo-
,tical question to report, for there was
md to be scarcely country
lore railroads were built that had
i experimental with greater or
d success with metal ties. To
railroads it was aquestion of economy,
betting dividends, and as such was treat
by them, with widely VARYING results.
countries where serviceable hardwood
are still abundant, and the cost is not
Ire than one-third the cost of metal ties.
I'D continues to hold the advantage, but
I opinion is expressed by many an engl-
liz who has had experience in railroad
.lding and maintenance that it is mere
sstion of time when the railroads of the
rid will generally come to the all.metal
tenn of construction. About 1863 iron
Igitudinals of the Mao Donnell system
la on the Bristol Il Exeter railway, and
Fh8S6 were reported to be still in good
|hdition. They were all out of the main
| ,ck, however, in 1888. But, notwith-
hiding the evident preference of English
yineers at this time for the metal sub
ncture, wood has gained speedy
lendancy over the metal, because of its
|lsiderably smaller first cost.
The wood ties were brought from Sweden
d Norway. where the timber was abund-
! and cheap. The first examples of met
4 ties and longitudinale, moreover, were
) so successful from the practical point
view as to gain very great favor from
|slroad builders. But within the present
babe there have been some great inl-
|bvements in the character of the metal
+, and it is by these and their record in
oeriment that the metal tie must be
lged. The metal horizontal has alto
sher disappeared.
|aDuring the last ten years." says Mr..
,ss ties have been used on q number OF
ids, generally in connection with the
ndard English system of double-headed
. bull-headed rails in chairs. No railway
really adopted steel ties, but Mr.. Webb.
The Lopdchaand Northwestern railway,
laid down ffty-six miles of his system
| different parts of the line, and few
ii lots Of the same system have been
I'D on other main lines, but only for e1-
,el rails of flange section il being tried
the Northwestern railway, and this ex-
IIiment is of special interest, as the type
track is similar to that which would
bbably be used in this country should
! lei ties be introduced, aud as it is under
Eere conditions of traffic its behavior
II be some guide for American railway
!gineers.
n the track the ties are spaced II to a
shes from centre to centre. It is said
1t they compare favorably in cost with
| > present system of wooden ties and
Ut iron chairs, and it is expected that by
.,ir use the cost of maintenance of the
ok will be materially reduced. In July.
80, they had been in use for eighteen
bnths, and had given very satisfactory re-
.ts. The heaviest eng ines in use are tank
zines, with wheel base of % feet {
ihes; they weigh IS So gross tons and
We 1871 tons on the driving wheels. Mr..
.bry finds the first cost Of mile of single
ok on steel ties to be 81 ,046.09, and OF
rele track on wooden ties to have been
.3334.27, the rails, fish plates, fish bolts
d nuts and labor being estimated the
me.
Experiments with steel ties have beer
! ,.de ON the London and Northwestern
;lway for ten years on fairly large scale
10 ties we're of form designed by Mr.. F,
Webb, the mechanical superintendent
hugh section, with small flanges at the
,ttom edges, and are of uniform section
ID thickness. They we're first laid in 1880
1885 there were 32,174 in service
]: 1886 there were 5000 beside.
lers in experimental use on othel
ads; in 1888 there were 83,24 o
Isse ties in service, and the road had be.
zen twenty and thirty miles of track lait
til them. In November last Mr.. Webb
d there were then fifty-six miles of track
d about 100, 085 ties in use. They are o.
leet; width on top, inches; depth y
shes; weight, 1876 pounds each. The tratfi
very heavy as regards the number ant
eed of trains. The cost of steel tie wa
tted to be $3.50, and of creosoted pin
$2.1O, including chairs and spikes com
hte. In tunnels and where sulphurou
hterial was used for ballast there wa
lme trouble from rust, but otherwise not
In France lighter tie than that abov
lscribed was laid in 1862, and by 1872 wa
/ lrown aside as failure. The same ii
lad in Algeria was SO successful that 100
| b were laid in 1870 and 10000 more wer
| ID in 1888. In Holland and Belgium sim
/ IL experiments were made, with about a
| isisfactory results. But it is in Germa n
. lat the metal tie has had its advantage
! s,st fully demonstrated and its claims
| lperiority most extensively conceded
1873, out of SO 343 total miles of railroad
q. 10 miles we're laid on metal Longitude
| lis and 1876 were laid on metal ties; i
| be the total mileage had grown to Al ,290. Z
/ id the miles laid on metal longitudinal
( Ire 3,562.52, and on metal ties 5.224. l:
he report sys: "Both longitudinals an
ioss ties have been tried on an extensiv
/ lille, but the former are not being used I
/ " extent for new work. while large quar-
. lies of cross ties are being introduced COZ
Ilntly and with results that have been
neral thoroughly satisfactory
These are about all of the nations who's
always may be properly compared wit
Iose of this country. In India and Sout
tuerica the roads are often built upo
lstal substructure. usually upon the il
irted cast iron bowls, but the tracks al
. '1ch lighter than those used in Americ
| d the conditions of railroad building al
together different.
. I'm America the most thorough experiment
8 been made by the New York Centr'
Id Hudson River railway. By this roa
/ l-o miles of steel ties were put in in NJ