Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-06-10
new FORM Of
RAILROAD TIES
Interesting Results Of the
Investigation of Doc
tor Herman Won
Schrenk.

The annual consumption of ties on
o03l32 miles on railroad track in this
country is $4,000, 900, and it is yearly
becoming harder to meet this demand.
Granite, metal, and, more recently, con-
crete ties have been experimental with
but nowhere permanently adopted, and
the indications are that wooden ties
are not soon to be displaced. The
Bureau of Forestry has for some time
been making studies and experiments
designed to improve the conditions
and to prevent the exhaustion OF the
timbers from which ties are made.
Bulletin No. so, "Cross-Tie Forms
and Rail Fastenings, with Special ref
erenee to Treated Timbers," by DIR.
Herman Won Schrenk, which has just
been published, gives the latest re-
suits Of these investigations.
The manner in which ties have hith-
erto been made has been determined
largely by the east and rapidity with
which they could be cut. They have
been obtained from trees of all dame
tiers from 9 inches upward, the most
sseryiceable portions of live straight
trees being selected. The sapwood
top sections and trees killed by fire,
insects, disease. etc, OF blown down,
could not be utilized, owing to the fact
that ties from sapwood or dead timber
decay rapidly.
Although large ties make a better
roadbed than the saem amount OF
timber in a greater number Of small
ties, the first consideration is to have
as great a bearing surface as possible
on the ballast. A trepezoidal or mod
flied half-round tie, with a base Of
10 to IL inches and a top-bearing sur
face of 6 inches, distributes the weight
of moving train loads upon the road
bed as effectually as a rectangular
tie 10 to II inches broad. The half
round tie is good for the lumberman
because in numerous instances two
ties of this form can be made from a
log which would furnish but n rec
tangular tie: in other cases material
for several boards Is saved. where a
rectangular tie would have taken the
entire log. This form is beneficial
to the forest, since ii encourages the
cutting of large trees and the saving of
small ones until they reach more val
liable size, and permits the utilization
of much timber from the tops, hither-
to left in the woods. The half.round
tie Is advantageous from a mechani-
cal standpoint also, because it gives
greater bearing surface per mile and
a eorrespondingly more stable track
than rectangular ties. This tie form
Is therefore advocated by the Bureau
of Forestry as economical Of timber,
conservative Of the lumber supply.
and at the same time equally efficient
with the forms in common use.
Ties are commonly graded as first,
second, and third class, and culls, or
ties, which either in sise or in quality.
fall below the specifications, but which
the railroads generally accept up to a
certain percentage Of the total number
Of ties, though at a greatly reduced
price. There is, however, no accept.
ed standard as To what constitutes a
first, second. and third-class tie, and
the specifications OF the various rail.
roads show wide differences In the
dimensions required. II Is proposed
BY Doctor Won Schrenk that a stand.
ard classification be adopted, consist.
ing Of six or more classes TO be known
AZ A, ID, C, etc. each class to be Of a
definite size. and no provision to be
made for culls. This will tend to
economy. since the smaller sized ties
VIII fall into the smaller classes and
will be sold at their market value 70
the roads which want them, instead OF,
as largely now.to roads which do not
want them but, having received q
certain proportion Of them mingled
with those Of the specified size. do not
feel warranted In rejecting them al.
together. This proposal has been
adopted by the American Engineer.
ing and Maintenance Of Way Asso-
citation.
Orient Has Money.