The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-11-08
RAILROAD NEWS.
Steel Tie Recently Invented
Claiming Lots of Attention.
Railroad Men All Over Country
Interested
IAN USE ANY CLAMP.
BY Which Rails Can Easily Be
Fastened and Made Secure.
Other Items CT Interest to
Railway People.

Railroad men in this country are
being interested in a new steel cross
tie. 1t is claimed for the tie that it
may be used with any form of rail
clamps. The new tie is formed by
pressing or bending a fiat piece of
steel plate or skelp into box form,
leaving a longitudinal slot or open
space between the abutting lateral
edges of the blank which now form the
of downwardly and oltwardly haring
sides, which, although formed of rela-
lively thin material, is of great strength,
owing to it's contour.
The thrust of traffic, owing to it's
haring sides, is safely assumed without
danger of rupture or f1attening and the
body of the tie is resilient enough to
take UP the wave motion and vibrations
of traffic. The result is a tie which
does not tend to upset and does not
pound the ballast" as do the steel ties
of girder or I-beam types, which are of
rigid construction and have been con-
demned by railway experts because of
their inability to assume the vibration
and wave motion caused by traffic.
The peculiar structure of the tie en-
ables much lighter material to be used
for bending without sacrificing strength.
For street railway use, where the tie is
embedded under the surface of paving,
there is offered simple form of tie
made by bending UP fiat piece of skelp
of a thickness running from three-six-
teenthS of an inch up. To each side of
the point where the rail traverses the
tie there is provided a slot through the
tie top in which is seated the fastener.
To the arm of the slots are holes
through which bolts extend loosely
downward to engage the bolt holes in
the lower arms of the Z-shaped fasten-
ers. By Tightening the bolts the lower
arms of the fasteners are raised and the
upper arms correspondingly depressed
thus clamping down firmly against the
base of the rail.
Several types of fasteners are offer
ed. Where, as in ordinary street rail-
way work, the rail is not shifted to take
up wear, a simple Z-shaped fastener,
having but a single engaging face on
its upper arm to clamp down upon the
rail base, is recommended. Where it is
desirable to shift the rail after it has
been in service a sufficiently long per-
iod to seriously enlarge the track gauge,
the type of fastener having plurality
of engaging faces is offered. Thus when
the rail is first put into service the out
side fastener would engage the rail base
with its lower or first engaging face,
while the inside fastener would engage
the rail base with its second or upper
engaging face.
When the rail is worn sufficiently to
require shifting to regauge the track,
side fastener will engage the rail base
with its second or upper engaging
face, while the inside fastener will en-
gage the rail base with its first or low
er engaging face. 1t is evident that the
different shifted positions of the rail are
limited in number only, by the number
of engaging faces of the fasteners. The
new tie is the only steel tie on which
the position Of the rail- may be adjusted.
By providing plurality of engaging
faces for the fasteners, it is evident
that a broad range of rail base widths
can be accommodated on the same tie, |
so that 100-pound, 90-pound, S0-pound, |
or any other size or character of rail |
may be laid on one of the ties without |
of the tie itself. The new
tie is therefore, standard and differ |
ant sizes need not be ordered for diff |
ferent characters of rails.
When it is desired to use one rail |
as part of an electric signal circuit, |
as In. the case of block signals, one rail |
Of the track is insulated by the use of |
which embrace not only the base, but
also the web of the rail bearing against |
the web thereof, and securing between |
themselves and the surfaces of the rail |
sheets or plates of insulating fiber Of
the character used at present on the |
main railway systems in connection |
with their block signals.
A similar insula ton is placed beneath |
the rail base and upon the tie. The |
rail is thus, effectively insulated so that |
with the use of the rail as an electric |
conductor. This construction is indors- |
ed by the leading railway signal men Of |
the country. The rail not in connec- |
lion with the signal system may be |
to the ties by means of adjusta- |
yauging may be accom- lished by shift |
ng the latter rail, when required.
JUDGE WEI4LBORN,S OPINION.