The Port Gibson reveille. [volume] (Port Gibson, Miss.) 1890-current, 1904-04-28

drcd plans and devices for lessenin
the great number of railway acc
dents consequent on the spreadin
of rails. As many as twenty-seve
OF these accidents have recently OF
Cured within the period of on
week. This is not remarkable whe
we come to consider the nature Q
the construction of most of the rail
roads, subjected to the passage o
heavy mogul engines and heav,
freight and passenger trains. Oh
most of these roads there is little O
nothing to support the rails, which
are poorly held down by spikes
driven at intervals of twelve tc
fourteen inches apart.
! have always condemned the use
OF angle bars and fish plates and in
the practice of my engineering pro,
fession ! have devised substitutes
for these wherever practicable, with
more or less satisfaction, and have
relieved the Railroad Management
of considerable worry, trouble and
expense. In all my experience
have not found a railroad having a
satisfactory rail protector or one
really safe for the passage of trains
at great speed without fear of de-
railment by spreading of rails.
Railroad companies are not slow
to investigate and adopt all devices
or improvements for the comfort
and protection Of the travelling pub
lie, realizing that as the fear of
wrecks and accidents is eliminated,
railroad travel is made pleasanter
and more desirable. The object of
this paper is to invite attention to
the Musgrove rail fastening, a re-
cent invention, which consider a
maker for safety.
The Musgrove fastening is very
strong, keeps the rails in place and
at the proper distance apart, makes
track building easier and faster,
puts a stop to the clicking every |
time car wheel passes over a joint, |
and thus in a measure prevents
enting on the wheels. This fasten-
ing is particularly adapted to with
stand the great strain imposed on
the outer rail at curve. 1t COM
prises a tie-bar and pair of rail
blocks. The tie-block extends to
sides of the track and is
provided with abutments shaped to
fit the outer side of the rails, the
top of the abutment lying flush
with the tread of the rail. The
rail-blocks are shaped to fit snugly
against the inner sides of the rails,
with their upper surfaces lying be-
low the rail-heads, so as not to in
terfere with the car-wheel hanges.
The tie-bars and rail-blocks are Sc
curely fastened together and also
to the tie by long spikes. Aside
from this, the tie-bar is individual
y secured by spike at the center,
and three at each end. 1t will be
observed that this form of fastening
renders unnecessary the employ
nent of fsh-plates and similar de-
yices, and the fastening, further
more, embodies no parts such as
ire liable to work loose under
hocks and jars to which railway !
rains are ordinarily subjected. {
This excellent invention admits
# two improvements to make it
worthy of the careful investigation
f all Railroad Managements.
When perfected, the block, provided /
With projections, should fit oyer
he tie-bar so as to prevent any lat t
raj movements caused by the ten 1
ency of the rails to creep. and al
0 to relieve great portion of that G
train from the spikes, which would f
therwise be thrown on them. S
'ins on the block should pass a
trough the web of the rails, thus {
olding the rails securely together "a
nd doing away effectually with all
ngle bars, etc. These pins may Ii
e made separate from the block or a
lay be an integral part thereof. - a
'dward S. Farrow, NJ. E., in The RI
ailway Critic. a
A Great Sensation. n