Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-04-13
BELLE PLANE.
Track Machine 6 w ork on the New
G.. ~ NJ. w. Branch,

TACK Machine ut w ork on the New
=. ~ Nj. W. Branch.
Many of the citizens OF Belle PLANE
have driven or walked out to the scene
|of operations of the track laying ma
chine north of city and have been well
repaid for their trouble in seeing this
wonderful contrivance do the work Of
scores of men. The track was laid past
Irving Tuesday The Union describes
the process of rapid track laying in the
following paragraphs:
The work train is made up in the
following order: First comes the ma
chine itself. which is composed Of fiat
car on which is an engine to give the
power to the rail and tie carriers which
bring them up from the rear. To the
front of the machine extend the two
carriers. On the left side is the rail
carrier extending some twelve feet be-
yond the car. On the right side is the
tie carrier, extending some twelve feet
beyond the end of the rail carrier Fol-
lowing the machine are five cars of sew
enty-two pound steel rails. Then come
the engine which propels the tram as
we'll as furnishes the steam for the sta
tionary engine on the machine and fol-
lowing the locomotive ere ten cars Of
ties. On the right side of the train is
a large trough or carrier which runs the
entire length of the train and into these
the ties are rolled from the cars and car
ried ahead by the revolving cog wheels
in the carrier. On the other side and
extending along the side of the cars
With rails is a carrier somewhat similar
to the first mentioned which forwards
the rails 10 the front
AS the ties come rolling out on the
carrier. the men rapidly carry them
ahead and lay them on the ground
and az the rails come out on the car
tier a gang ofSmen carry them to their
place The angle bars are quickly put
in place and two bolts put in each joint.
To hold the rails a proper distance apart
two bars to each rail length are placed
underneath the rails connecting them.
As soon as the joint is bolted and the
stays put in place the train FORCES ahead
u rail length and the same process re-
peated. The space of time in which a
length is completed is very short and
the train is almost continuously on the
move.
No spiking is done until the entire
train has passed over. Then follows a
gang Of men who straighten the track
and drive the spikes and make it some
what more secure. Following along in
a few days Will come the surfacing
gang which will throw UP dirt from the
sides and level up the track
Five cars of steel and ten cars of ties
is enough for half a days work and
when this load is used up the train
backs into the yards and gets another
train load which has been made ready
while they We're at work AS the work
train gets farther away from the supply
yard il Will not have to return for new
supplies. These will be forwarded by
another train. Switches Will be laid at
the new stations and the transfers of
trains made in that way. Then too, as
the work train progresses still further
TO the north the train crew will not
get home at night but will eat and
sleep On the train.
To handle the ties and rails in front
ard ON the fiat cars requires a good
sized gang of men, and this. track gang
which follows is even larger. These
linen are housed and fed in train Of
cars Which has been in the yards here,
but as the scene of operations moves
further away this train wili be taker
laiong and left on the sidetracks which
will be laid as the work progresses II
any one who has seen track laying
lidone in the old fashioned way this new
method is a revelation of how ingen-
juity and machinery can save on labor
\ and increase the speed.