The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1897-04-16
THE FIRST RAILROAD.
Originated I'm a Coal Mine and Was
Crude Affair.


The primitive railway appears to have
been the product of the coal mines in
Great Britain History records that in
the early part of the sixteenth century
rails of timber were laid at the colIieries
near Newcastle-upon-T 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.
Fiat iron bars were first substituted
for this temporary strip of wood in
1873, and about so wears later cast iron
bars were forged for that purpose.
These cast iron bars were each five feet
long, four inches wide and one and
three-guarter inches thick. with holes
for spikes to secure them to the wood
tury 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.
Flanged rails and fiat wheels were dis
led no
the tire of the wheels. Mr. Jesup intro
duced, at that period. rails cast in
lengths of Is feet, with the top Il,
inches wide. They were of the fish
belly pattern; deeper in the middle than
at the ends After various experiments
il was found advisable TO set the ends
of the rails in cast iron chairs. which
were bolted to the wooden or stone,
ties, and into which secured by KEY
or wedges. Cast iron, however. proved
TO be too brittle for the passage of
heavy loads at high rates of speed. and
about the year 1920 mallcabIe 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 broached by James
'h'h III I'ofs NlCH ne dpDiltu lot a
patent for steam carriage. In 1904
Richard Treyethick built a locomotive
engine which was tried upon the Mer-
thyr Il Tydvil railway. in Wales, and
which drew wagons containing ten tons
OF coal each, at 4 rate of five miles an
hour. W. Hassell Wilson. in his Rail
way History" says that in 1912 Blen-
kinsoPs engines began running between
Middleton collieries and Leeds Ga dis
tance of 3Ea 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 killingwor1h railway. 1t drew
80 tons at the rate of four miles an hour
upon an incline OF one foot in $50. I'm
provements in locomotives followed
gradually When the Stockton d Oar
ington railway was opened for public
use in 1925, one of Stephenson's loco
motives drew train composed of -
wagons filled with passengers AMI l.
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 4 maximum rate of II miles.
N. y. Times.