The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1898-12-06
TRAVELLING TRACKS.
rhe C~eepinH Of Rails IL PuaniaHa
Phenomenon 10 Rail-
rond Men.

cussing at present thesubject OF Creep
ing rails. They regard it as a curious
fact about modern railroading. but 80
far there il little knowledge obtain
able aboutit. The matter is one which
concerns practical road builders quite
as much as those interested only in
the theory OF the thing. twas up for
discussion at the recent convention OF
the New England Roadmasters' ASSOC
citation and it is to be brought up before
the Roadmssters' Association Of Amer
ica at itx meeting in Denver this month.
Engineer Irwin had somo comments
to make upon tho subject. II noticed
. writer in recent issue Of the Rail
way Age who discussed the matter at
some length. It appears that It has not
ret been determined whether the move
meat OF the rails 10 with our against
The direction Of heaviest travel, but
there is no doubt that there 70 move
msnt, sometimes Of considerable
amount. Well authenticated instances
are given Of creeping in both directions
and some OF them are quite remark
able.
"Refsreneo 10 made 10 rail on pile
trestls st Galveston which travelled nine
fest per month. One on the 81. Louis
bridge Is mentioned. The bridge has n
riss OF Ave feet In its length Of 1900
fes4, and the railroad tracks require
constant attention. In the latter half
Of 1898 the creeping on the eas+ and
wss4 approaches averaged % feet per
month on each Slde and on the bridge
s4xueturs IL varied from II inchos to 10
FEET inches per month for the six
months. The creeping Of the extrsme
south rail was only two inches more in
July than in December. while on the
north rail the difference between tho
two months was - feet two inches in
favor OF July. The direction of the
movement WAS with tho track. but this
docs not account for the fsot that in
the case Of one track the outer rail and
In the other the inner rail does the most
creeping"
As to tho general direction Of rail
movement. aside from specific in
stances, Assistant Chatham. Of tho
chief engineers office, said: Heavy
losds pulling constantly in one direc-
tion have a tendency to drive the rails
in the opposite direction. The railway
commissioners Of New South Wales,
after making an investigation, reported
three oases. In one case it was stated
that the rails on double-track road
travelled both together in tho direction
OF tho traffic; in another on q double
road the other rail on tho down line
moved in the direction OF the traffic.
while the rail near the way between
the double tracks remained stationary;
Asd in still another case. also double
road. The rail neArcst the middle way
nas~sd more than The oater rail, bat In
Ne direction OF the trafno.
The committee Of the New England
Rcadnasters' association reported that
h wss . wsll-known fse4 theA rAils
move or creep IN the direction trains
rxa oa the track on double txAck, and
on single track rails move in ths direo-
Won Of the heaviest traffic. In fact
about the only safe deduction TO be
drawn in the present state OF knowl
edge 10 that rails do move"
The reasons for the creeping Of rails
have not been determined any more
definitely than the direction Of the ar
dent movements. Inquiries among the
engineers and section men resulted in
the gathering of many suppositions
In brief they come to these:
That rails have in many places de-
cided tendency to creep or travel along
the track, owing to the wave motion,
the unbalanced traffic in one direction,
the action Of braked wheels, the con-
traction and expansion due to the
changes in the temperature. This
creeping is more especially trouble
some, as q rule, on steep grades, on
bridges, and on swamp roadbeds, bat
may develop at any place
OF the reasons given the undulstory
Of the rails given them by
passing trains seems to be the prin-
cipal one. In a perfectly rigid track
there would be no creeping. During
the undulatory movement referred to
the tracks are free to assume new
position in the direction of the greatest
force, or in that OF the least resistance.
The momentum Of the train may
carry the track along with it, resulting
In a movement Of the track in the direc-
tion Of heaviest traffic. or it may be
that the freedom of the rail during the
movement permits the OPP
GRAFTON of q stronger force than that set
IN operation by the train, and this
stronger force, which might be gravity