El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-11-02
GROOYED RAILS
AND TRAILS.
An interesting Discussion of
the Relative Usefulness.
GROOVEO RAILS BtIItR
For All paved Streets But the T.
rails have Been Found to BE
Rett.r for MdCadamiZed Streets

| The war declared by the towh VI
| Westerly against an oDJectionaoi,
TYNE of rail may be accepted as PROOF
! that the residents of small places haE'
keen appreciation OF the au'an'aSeS
of the srooved rails now generally in
sisted upon by city councils through
ont the country. About three years
ago this city learned that electric
| rors could be run as we'll on the groov-
| ed rail as on the old tram rail with
projecting fiange which intertered ser
/ iously with vehicles crossing ana no'
! infreouently upset four-wheeled Vehi-
| cles as easily as a bicycle on a rainy
! day The first grooved rail- was iaiu
| in Francis street near the passenger
| station. and its excellent features were
so obvious that the committee on rail-
| roads in compliance with pubic SEN
tir,ent. adopted it as the STANDARD.
ard since los. the grooved rail has
been used exclusively on extensions
and wherever new iron was needed
Naturally the displacement OF ran
which was a serious impeachment TO
highway traffic, attracted the attention
of the people of all parts OF the state
and today there is a very strong feel
ing that the grooved rail is the only
one deserving the approval OF city ana
town authorities.
dorsement of the grooved rails is in
the fact that it does not Interfere with
the movements of vehicle wheels 1t
can be crossed at any angle in wet or
dry weather without danger of Slip
ping. and the groove. just wide
enough 10 take the fange or the car
wheel. can hardly be regarded as a
break in the pavement. The person
crossing the tracks in Exchange place
feels no shock, and drivers OF horses
and bicycle riders cross and recroSS
the rails without being aware of their
presence. But when they are on Wash
ington street. where the old tram rail.
in its worst form. is encountered. ev-
cry person things once or twice be
fore attempting to cross at any angle.
except right angle, and many of
those who decide to take chances of
getting over regret their encounters
with the tram rail. All this infor-
nation has had wide circulation. and
street railway companies are being
requested to lay the grooved rail in
village streets if not on country roads.
1t is very evident that the town
councils know what they want and
that they are not afraid to ask for ii.
They are opposed to the further en-
ployment of the tram rail in village
able and Just But il is well to re-
member in many cases that it is
enough to get all the good points of the
grooved rail adopted by the city of
Providence. Companies operating
roads in rural territory where travel
is light should be required to do no
more than to relieve the public of an
ANNOYANCE of crossing refractory rails,
and the exercise OF judgment on the
part of town officials in tie selection
of rails will in all probability en-
courage the construction of new roads
in localities not furnishing sufficient
business to warrant the purchase of
the deep and heavy grooved rail
chosen by the city of Providence.
In streets paved with asphalt. brick
or granite blocks. the grooved rail is
the best. But where macadam is laid
next to the rail. the Trail is equally
satisfactory. There is no break in the
macadam surface worth noticing. The
crushed stone in the centre of the track
is as high as that on the outside. The
wheel fiange cuts a groove in the mac
adam corresponding to that of the
grooved rail; in fact. the groove in
level macadam street is narrower than
that in the asphalt of Exchange place
because the dirt constantly accumu-
iates in the slight depression on the
inner side of the rail. and vehicles
of all descriptions can cross Trail
laid in this way without sliding or
humping. The maintenance of the
macadam is all that is essential to in
sure every benefit of the grooved rail
in asphalt, and as the companies usual
ly are required to pave between rails
and is inches outside. the towns have
no occasion for apprehending the
Of h.
against the iron. 1t is proper to state
that macadam laid next to a grooved
rail needs just as much attention as
when the rail is in the highway.
The Trail. ii may be added. is as
suitable as any other for traction pur-
poses. Its lower cost is not due to
inferiority in design or material but
to the fact that ordinarily it has about
four inches less depth. In asphalt or
granite pavements il is less desirable
than the grooved girder rail nine inch
es deep. because the base of n four and
quarter inch rail cannot be placed on
tie or concrete bed below the foun-
dation of the wearing surface of as
phalt or stone. In n macadam high
way. however. there is no objection
to four and quarter Trail and.
as stated. il has the recommendation of
lower cost than the nine-inch girder
rail.
All electric railway companies occu-
plying country roads and village
streets. when asked to extend their
lines into new territory. consider the
prospects of earning enough to nav
interest on the investment and operat-
ing expenses before placing orders for
rails. In some cases it is possible
that the difference in cost between a
90 and a lU1-pound rail might be the
deciding factor in proposed extensions