New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-01-10
FIo4

damage and wise Is the wheelman who keeps away
from cartracks or Is. at least. careful to cross
them at right angles.
Engineers and mechanics long ago realized that
there is nothing moro foolish than to lay fine
pavement and then have the average street rail-
road put through IT.. Thus. with the improvements
In having that have been made In recent years.
there has also come advance In the matter OF
rails The step from the old Hewitt or cehtre-
bearing rail to the latest design OF grooved ran Is
indeed a long This grooved rail- was aooptea
by the Department Of Public Works in 1895. and Is
nou tho only rail that be used in this city, IL
was used on the new Kingsbridge road ana ran
NJ this design is soon be put down on the Fourth
and Sixth-ave. roads.
The problems that confront the designer or a ran
for surface roads In a large city are various ana
difficult of solution. rail- that Is good IN every
other particular may cause an unevenness III 'he
surfacA OF the street. Another may be faulty III
49,, 4, male, such an excellent wheelway for We
h,c,as as seriously to interrupt the movements OF
tho cars Another may not Invite tramc' as the
engineers say but still Is bad because hea.n!
loaded wagon once on the track mas great uii"
entity in getting out. This was the defect IN 'he
old Hewitt rail. Drivers avoided H. p"'' U" 'ne
o,h.r hand II Is the hardest kind or q track 10
get out Of .orrass
TIE nerfect rail, then. must cause no unevenness
IN the payement and not invite wagons 10 se' 'h'o
q and. at the same time be easy TOT them " 'ea''
In addition to all this. 1t must be posso'e io' a
wheel to cross II at any angie "i'"''
being wrenched and broken
,rhe Hewitt rail Is what Is known as strap ran VI
Liza along the top OF a heavy timber. with the
,n,auction OF cable and trolley roads heavier ran
ar eirder rail- resting on ties as In the case VI
railroads came into use. and 1t Is upon th's ss
.,ne that all the recent Improvements nave oeeh
made The first form OF ground ran was a.. .as" -.
excent that the fange on the inside was not up 10
~. level 81 the outside and the slot was SO Mario"
,h., there was great difficulty in keeping 1t clean.
What Is known the sde-bearing rail- mas us sup
norters but Its disadvantages are apparent IL makes
an excellent wheeway Is very easy Tor wagon 10
ret into and almost as hard TO leave as the o'u
Hewitt rail- on account Of Its nearly verucai Sizes
This rail has recently pee" 'a'u VI" manly Va Wv
Brooklyn trolley roads
A glance at the most improved grooved raii' 'he
one adopted for all future In this city. shows us
many fine points. A rail Is seemingly simple thng,
vet this new ore proves that thought and no small
amount OF ingenuity been necessary to It's per-
lection. It is perfectly level across the top The
payement comes flush with the top OF the rail on
either SIDE and 1t IS q fact that people have driven
across tracks made Of these rails without knowing IT,
so slight is the obstruction encountered. The slot
in this rail s TOO to admit the wheel OF large
wagon or truck This that there will be no more
ruts worn in the pavement about foot outside OF a
along with the inner wheel In OF the inside rails
light carriage may get into the new track. put
curve at the Inner surface of the slot Everybody
has tried to put in screw with the slot IN the head
a little bit worn and has been exasperated by the
way in which the screwdrver would insist on rising
out OF the slot without turning thesscrew particle
That is Just what happens in the new rail; the mo-
ment that wagon makes the slightest turn. the
rail at any angle without danger and the slot be
kept free from dirt without much trouble.
II would seem that this latest design Is scarcely
susceptible OF Improvement but even II such Is the
case the men who have devoted their time and at
tenton TO the matter deserve vote of thanks from
every owner of vehicle In this city. AL new roads
will have this rail. and some OF the old ones will
probaby decide to follow the example OF the Fourth
and Sixth ave- roads In introducing II.