Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-14
/ A0gbnrQh ESanem1fnnre Co 1926 ST. NV.
FORTUNES PAID FOR TIES.
How Railroad Managers Select and
Care for Them.
From the Chicago News.

From the Chicago News.
a railroad tie is a comparatively little
ching yet no element that enters into the
construction and maintenance of a great
road is watched with closer care than the
crosspieces of wood that support the rails
An ordinary tie costs 80 cents. Not for
tune. to be sure, but when one stops TO
think of the countless number that stretch
from ocean to ocean across this great con-
tnent it suddenly occurs to the observer
that vast fortunes are invested in the clum-
sy wooden sleepers.
Ever since the rapid development of rail-
road interests began experiments have been
conducted in the hope of discovering the
ideal tie. Railroad men think they have
done 50 now, and attention is being turned
to the proper method of protecting and
caring for them in order to prolong their
term Of usefulness and derive the greatest
possible amount of service from them
Many amusing experiments were made
before the oak tie was decided upon as the
standard of excellence, ranging from the
mistake of a New England railroad, which,
with the idea of making its roadway as
durable as the everlasting hills, laid rails
upon stone sleepors. nearly jolting to death
those who were compelled to ride over
them. to the line up north which used pine
with the result that the weight of the trains
drove the rails almost entirely through the
ties. Long ago stone and other unyieldin2
substa aces Were abandoned for the reason
that the tie must act as a spring, mini
MIXING the crashing and Jolung incident to
travel. while oak is fast supplanting cedar
hemlock and other woods once thought to
be economical because of their low origl-
nal cost.
Ties are for the most part made by farm
ers living along the line of railroads. The
work is done in winter when crops are all
harvested md there is little else to do.
After much labor and liberal use of the AK
the farmer brings in his ties on sled.
An inspector armed with red and white
cf ak paint, examines them and prompt
iy raises the ire of the farmer by condemn
ing the majority as seconds, or even third
grade offerings.
But they are useless to the farmer, and
he usually settles at the inspectors figures
from 30 to 60 cents for the best and
much lower sum for the rest. Then the in
spector makes strange little dots and cross
es at the ends with his paint, lest he should
forget the distinctions he made as to quail
ity, for it is said by the farmers 1t takes an
inspector with an excellent memory to be
able to give any given lot of ties the same
classification twice. SO remote are the
causes that relied upon to cut down the
value.
Later the ties reach the section boss. and
when he chances to discover old one
that gives under the weight of his pick. ii
is hauled out and cast aside to be replaced
by one of the new ones. The dirt and bal
last are piled up about the tie, which, I'M
assumes the grimy hue characteristic Of all
sleepers. and Is buried away until the day
arrives when 1t is torn from beneath the
track to make way for a new one. From
the day It reaches its resting place under
the rail until it is found to be defective. no
casual observer knows whether it has been
there a day year, or ten years. Paint
never was made that could Withstand the
play of the elements to which tie is sub
jected, and in the past no efforts have been
made to keep track of each individual tie.
In effort to keep a record of each tie.
Superintendent T. A. Lawson of the North
western railroad, with headquarters in Chi
cage, has introduced a system of marking
them which time does not efface and which
is likely to be adopted generally, it is said.
The sleeper is divided into five sections,
an AK representing the year in which 1t
was laid In place. The two exposed sides of
the tie provide room for code of ten such
marks, covering the flight of decade, 50
that person may walk along the track
and readily point out just when each tie
was placed in position. In this manner 1t
is possible to note the benefits derived from
| the use of various kinds of ballast more
closely than could be done in the aggre-
gate. and that is what the railroad officials
are seeking. Cinders and gravel make an
excellent roadbed, but hold water which
decays the ties. Stag and rock are not
open to that objection but frequently cost
large amounts. Conditions, which always
vary according to location. govern the ma
ture of the ballast used, SO that the prob
lem is not yet settled, although it is aver
red that the system of individual records
will do much toward accomplishing that re-
suit.
A hawker was beiaboring his Door donkey