The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-12-31
Santa Fe Railroad Experiment
ing With Wood Tie Plates.
Tests Being Made Upon Advice
of u. 8. Bureau of Forestry.
OBJECT is ECONOMY.
PreserVatives Used to Lengthen
Life of Wood and Forests.
Gossip and Matters of Interest
I'm Railroad Circles.

Upon the advice of the bureau OF
forestry the Gulf, Colorado and Santa
Fe railroad eight months ago began tc
experiment with wooden tie-plates
! These plates are intended to protect the
tie from wear under the rail. They are
cut the width of the bottom of the rail
and as long as the tie is wide-usually
| 6 or incheS-and are kept in place by
the weight of the rail, in a fiat groove
in the tie. The results of the expert
ment are of much interest both to the
railroads of the country and to those
who have at heart the cause of forest
protection.
The Santa Fe placed cypress tie
plates one-quarter of an inch thick on
several thousand old and much-worn
cypress ties laid in it's track north OF
Galveston, Tex. After eight months
of constant use the plates are perfectly
sound and show practically not a trace
of wear. The officials of the road are
greatly pleased with the result of this
trial.
The bureau of forestry will now
make similar experiments with red
gum, red oak, and beech tie-plates,
which will be placed in the tracks of
the st. Louis and San Francisco, the
Burlington, and the Northern Pacific
systems. These are all harder woods
than cypress, and are therefore less liza
much more subject to decay. The tie
plates made from these woods will
therefore all be heavily creosoted. This
will make them about as resistant to
their much greater hardness will better
qualify them to resist the wear of the
rails.
For a number of years cross-ties
have been treated with preservatives,
and tie-plates of iron have been used
to increase their length of service.
Tests are constantly being made by
the bureau Of forestry to improve the
character of the preservatives and the
methods of their application, and to en-
large the number of woods used for
railroad construction purposes. Exper-
imenting with wooden tie-plateS is
work along the same economical line,
in the interest of both the railroads and
the forests. The use of a. tie-plate pre-
vents wear on the tie and adds years to
its service; wooden tie-plateS are be-
ing successfully substituted for the
more expensive iron; and abundant
and cheaper woods, through preserva-
tive treatment, are becoming available
to take the place of scarce and expen-
sive woods. When a wooden tie-plate
is worn out a new one can be quickly
and cheaply inserted in it's place. In
Europe these plates cost but 81 a thou
sand, or 50 for every 500 ties, since two
are used upon each tie. Preservative
treatment keeps the tie from decaying,
the wooden tie-plate keeps it from
wearing, and the use of both will result
in a huge economy for the railroads,
which will react favorably upon our
forests. The whole subject of cross-tie
economy was fully discussed by DR..
Hermann Won Schrenk of the bureau
of forestry, in bulletin No. so, entitled
''Cross-Tie Forms and Rail Fastenings,
with Special Reference to Treated Tim
bers." The present experiments are in
Continuance of lines of work therein in
Dictated.