The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-08-02
MAKING ENDLESS CAR TRACKS.
The Interesting Process OF Welding
Rails by Electricity
Detr2st FFeA Press.


Ton. I. Johnsons weider hezan opera
.scrs on the rev Jefferson aFen1e track
ius. east OF D@auinirs street az SO o'elo-k
last night. and a large crowd o. people
Nowe~eS around Until a late hour. watch
Ing he interesting process o. making sn
endless rail. The machinery is carried On
rhrea cars which. RElen seen from little
distance. look Ike a railroad wrecktng
train.
IRE e-x- car. Weighing eight tons. is she
connressinx machine by means Of which
confra-.lon and expansion OF the rails is
overcome arrifctaiiy. The patents cover
Ing this machine are owned by the John
.on eornpany. ard this IS the first time the
apnarstuz nas been used in the electric
welding Ct rails. At the end Of the car II
a hydraulic fsTk which is operated by
bard and develops a pressure Of about 10
tons After the FISH plates. which are tenn
porarsly put on the joints In order to hold
the raiss in position. have been removed
the isrk Is placsi over the joint. II is so
arranged that one Jaw SEXES one rail and
IRE other Jaw takes hold Of the adjoining
rail Tne pump is started. and the force
ea-nnraSs1s the rails sufficiently 70 over
come the contracting efects OF cold tenn
nerz4r-s on iron. Thus in cold weather
the rails have no tendency 10 contract,
and the possibility OF detective weld
breaking is thus obviated- When the rails
are made the ends are cut with slight
bevel 20 insure tight at on the top and
bottom. After the rails have been srtifs-
-4slfv rorluressei the ends are forced
znsrs from one-sixteenth to one-Guarter
Of an inch. and a section of rail, hitting
the opening. is inserted TO prevent the rails
from expanding again.
ON the second car. which is also used for
the carriage Of tools. are the emery wheels
operated by independent motors. which re-
ceiye their eurren. from the trolley The
emery wheels are used in grinding eff the
rust and scales from the rails. about one
inch or both sides Of the joint. IN order 10
make : quicker job and a better and more
even weld
The r,srd car Is the weider proper. II
weighs th.rty-two tons. and cont aims lot
OF electrical machinery. There are two
large motor dynanaos ore OF which IS
used 10 increase the voltage Of the cur
rent coming from the trolley which va
ries en- the trolley frcen 20 volts I'D to zoo
volts. FRI, this dynamo the current
passes 20 the slternstor. which changes
the direc. current Of SEQ volts TO an alter
mating current CT $50 volts, az the same
tine increasing the current from 800 10 500
amperes. The current then passes 70 the
real welding apparatus, which consists Ct
two transformers in multiple and is illed
with copper Jaws for applying pressure 10
the Weld after heating the rails. In these
transformers the current is changed from
500 10 about 5000 amperes This curren.
IL applied 70 the end OF the rails. ard
heats them In from five TO six minutes 10
temperature OF nearly 900 degrees
Fahrenheit The only thing used in ad-
6.tion 10 the electric force is powdered
oorax. applied with a copper spoon. for
the purpose of removing any dirt adher-
ing 10 the rails and aiding fusion. The
copper jaws OF the 'weder are kept cool by
means OF water pumped Up from tank
underneath the car. II holds 500 gallons
and is filled from the street hydrants
During the early hours after midnight.
when but few ears are running. four
Joints. or two rail lengths can be made
IN one hour. but during the day ard even
Ing there are too many Interruptions. as
the trolley connections have TO be sus-
perded whenever 9 car passes Thus dur
Ing hfteen hours work out OF twenty
four. progress Is made a c the rate of about
one-ei"hth OF a mile. Two shifts of nine
men each are employed in doing the work.