Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1901-01-24
STEEL TIES TRIED.
Expense Against Them, But One Road
Finds Them Economical.


Why are not steel tires used on
American railroads? This question is
often asked by those not initiated into
the mysteries of railroad construction,
and it is commonly supposed that the
| reason lies in the susceptibility of the
| metal to atmospheric changes. This,
however, is not the fact The most
| important reason for their not being
used is their cost compared with
| wooden tires.
Prices, OF course, vary with locality
and circumstances, but the fair aver
age cost of wooden tie may be said
to be 80 cents, while an average steel
tie as now constructed costs about
$3.50 The wooden tie under ordinary
conditions will wear about ten years,
and it's life may be extended far be-
yond this period. The life of a steel
tie is problematical, but the majority
of railroad engineers do not believe it
| is long enough to balance the increased
cost. At the same time, every engineer
| realizes the fact that the time is COM
ing when the railroads of the country
will be driven to the use of steel ties,
whether they so desira or not. The
forests from which ties come will not
| last forever, and many of the roads
are even now considering what to do
in view Of the scarcity of tie timber.
| Knowing that the age of the steel tie
is coming, several concerns have for
long time been engaged in the manu-
| facture of steel ties and in expert
menting with them. The tie that will
be best adapted to general use is prob
ably not yet made, although some
manufacturers follow the European
| FORMS
| For some years roads all over the
Continent have been using steel ties
with good results, and accordingly
manufacturers in this country are
using the foreign roads as arguments
to induce American roads to try the
steel tie. Some engineers believe, too,
that steel does not make as good tie
as wood. With steel ties and rock
ballast, they say, passengers would
think that they were riding on a bed
of solid cement on account of the alb
sence of resilient properties. They
also believe that difficulty would be
experienced in packing the dirt about
! the steel ties securely enough to pre-
vent the tracks getting out of align
ment. For about six months the
Huntingdon and Broad Top Noun
| tain Railroad in Pennsylvania has
been experimenting with the use OF
steel ties. The tie in use there re-
sembles the "bowl" and plate" tie
/ largely in use in India and South
America, and the company has been
subjecting it to exceptionally heavy
| traffic. The ties were laid on October
| II. 1899. There are forty-four of them
and the normal spacing varies from
sixteen to thirty inches, the ties hay
ing been put in where the wooden ties
were removed. Each trough or rail
bearer weighs about twenty-five
| mounds and the tie bearer 60 pounds.
The rails are seventy Founders, and
are laid with suspended joints spliced
with four bolt angle bars, and the
track is ballasted with Stag.
| Since the ties were laid about 1900
600 tons of freight has passed over
them, principally coal cars of 60,OOO
and 10000 pounds capacity, hauled by
1oO-ton engines. The officials claim
that the steel ties make more durable
track than wooden ties and reduce the
labor of track maintenance by 40 per
cent. They also permit an increase OF
33 per cent. in the length of the sec
/ tions. If these deductions are correct
II is difficult to see why railroads in
general do not adopt the steel tie
Chicago Fimes-Herald.