The DeLamar nugget. [volume] (DeLamar, Idaho) 1891-1900, 1897-04-23
THE FIRST RAILROAD.
Originated in n Coal Mine and Was
a Crude Affair.

a Crude Affair.
The primitive railway appears to have
been tine product of the coal mines in
Great Britain. History records that in
tie early Part of the sixteenth century
rails of timber were laid al the collieries
near Newcastle-upon-Tyne, over which.
by means of bulky carts provided with
rollers, one horse could draw four or
five tons. For fully 200 years the use
of these rude railroads was confined to
the collieries. Improvements developed
slowly. The first change was in Sc
curing the wooden rails, by means of
pegs. to cross ties or sleepers placed
two or three feet apart. The rails were
six inches high and six inches broad.
On top of each rail strip of hard wood
was fastened, which could be renewed
whenever occasion warranted without
disturbing the remainder of the struc-
ture.
Flat iron bars were first substituted
for this temporary strip of wood in
1888, ard about 80 years later cast iron
bars were forged for that purpose
These cast iron bars were each five fee;
long, four inches wide and one and
three-quarter inches thick, with hole
for spikes to secure them to the wood
Toward the close of the eighteenth cen
fury the practice was adopted of cast
ing the rails with perpendicular ledge
on the outer edge to prevent the wheels
FROM leaving the track. Subsequently
the ledge was transferred to the inner
side OF the rail.
1t was not until 1889 that the present
type Of rail and car wheel appeared
l'largcd rails and fat wheels were dis
carded and the flange transferred to
the tire of the wheels. Mr.. Jesup intro
duced. at that period, rails cast in
lengths Of IS feet, with the top ~
inches vide. They were of the fish
belly pattern; deeper in the middle than
AT the ends. After various experiments
it was found advisable TO set the end
of the rails in cast iron chairs, which
were hoted 90 the wooden or stone.
ties, and into which secured by Ike,
or Wedges. Cast iron, however, prove
to be too brittle for the passage o!
heavy loads at high rates of speed. ant
about the year 1920 malleable iroT was
substituted and the length of the rails
was increased.
The idea OF using steam as n motive
power on the tramways in the English
collieries was first preached by James
Watt in 1884, when he applied for a
patent for steam carriage. In 1904
Richard Trevethick built locomotive
engine which was tried upon the Aier-
thyr & Tydvil railway, in Wales, and
which drew wagons containing ten tons
of coal each. at Il rate of five miles an
hour. W. lIassell Wilson, in his Rail
way History" says that in 1912 Blen-
kinsops engines began running between
Middleton collieries and Leeds "a dis
tance OF 31a miles,, and continued in
use for several years, being the first in
stance of the regular employment of
steam locomotives for commercial pur-
poses. 1t was in 1914 that George Ste
phenson's first steam engine was placed
on the Killingworth railway. 1t drew
30 tons at the rate of four miles an hour
upon an incline of one foot in $50. I'M
proycments in locomotives followed
gradually. When the Stockton G. Oar
iington railway was opened for public
use in 1925. one of Stephenson's loco
motives drew a train composed of 90
wagons flied with passengers AMI ~
wagons loaded with coal, making to-
tai weight of about 90 tons, including
the engine and tender, at an average
speed OF about five miles an hour, but
attaining maximum rate of 12 miles
N. Y. Times.