Evening star., 1900-12-22
THE RAILROAD TIE.
Very Important Feature in the
Make-Up of Line.

The drummer in railroad supplies handed
the drummer in cotton goods his silver
mounted flask as he settled himself COM
fortabIy as the train pulled out of Phila-
delphia for Washington a few days ago.
1.-The reason why you chaps in the south
used to have many years ago so many ac-
cidents on your old lines was because pine
trees, being so convenient, were used exten-
sively in the making Of railroad ties, than
which no more important element enters
into the makeup of railroad he said
pine wood will not hold the Spikes is soft
and rots quickly. and has now been aban-
doned as supports of the steel rails.
"Who ever thinks OF the ties Of road
as he speeds along at the rate of sixty miles
an hour with scarcely tremor Of the coach
in which he is sitting? No one; but rail-
road men give the closest attention to these
wooden ribs.
Tiles are placed at varying distances
apart, but the average distance adopted by
most trunk lines Is one and half feet from
center to center. Give me your pencil.
There are approximately about $500 ties to
the mile. These ties are worth delivered to
the road from 80 cents to $11O each. de-
dending upon the point of delivery. In the
prairie sections Of the west. for instance,
ties. owing to distance from the base of
supplies. are more expensive than in a
region abounding in forests. Placing their
value at 81 each, on a double track from
New York to Washington, a distance of 221
miles, the ties alone are worth SITS, 800,
while along the sides of the track are piles
of ties seasoning easily worth half this
sum. Therefore, in a road operating 1900
miles of track it's ties alone represent an
expenditure of 81 100000.
Each tie is carefully inspected by men
who make that their business who look for
splits, decayed places. wOrm-eaten spots
and other imperfections. Each piece of
wood selected must be up to the standard
size in length. width and thickness. If the
inspector passes a tie he daubs round
splash of red paint the end which
shows plainly on the freshly hewn or sawed
red eyes meant on that pile of new ties We
just passed and of which you asked the
meaning.
'.The average life of tie is about five
years, depending upon climatic influences
and the character of the road bed. Ties
set in soft. moist soil will, of course. rot
quicker than those placed in rock ballast
which is now the accepted road bed of all of
the great lines. The various species of oak
are mainly used. though chestnut and one
or two other varieties of wood which are
tough and of firm, solid grain are used
Eve don't hear so much about spreading
rails and ensuing accidents as decade or
two ago. One reason for this is the closer
inspection now given to ties and their re-
newing, and the great improvements made
recently In roadbeds and their care and
maintenance.
Iron ties have been used on some of the
roads in Europe, but If they have proved a
success there they have not been adopted
in this country, and 1 doubt If they will
ever be. Down in Central America in the
tropical forests they use ties Of solid ma
hogany. as it is about the only wood which
will withstand the climate anu the ravages
of tropical insects. Up here, we are glad to
have veneer OF mahogany for our tables"