Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-08
copyright 1907, by ]. F. Durham.)
cial Correspondence of The Star.


Special Correspondence of The Star
y He London and Northwestern rail.
way. which is regarded as the
most progressive and probably
- the best railway In England and
in some quarters it is conceded to
be the model railway of the world sends from
one 10 three representatives to America
every year for the purpose of studying rail-
way conditions il he United States. These
representatives. are selected from the various
operating branches OF the system, and they
are instructed to make a thorough investi-
cation of every detail connected with the
manag of railways
The London and Northwestern has the re.
ports OF more than hundred representa-.
ives who have been sent to the United
states. In none of the reports has there
been any criticism of the management Of
American railwaYs-only a mere state-
tnent OF the facts as they have appeared
10 the English visitors. 1t NAV seem
somewhat strange to Americans that with
all this great volume of information at
hand the management Of the London and
northwestern has not deemed it the part
OF wisdom to apply any Of the American
methods In its property.
*
From the point of view taken by the
English manager American methods are
not sufficiently thorough to meet the de-
mands upon the part of the travelling pub
lie IN England. The English manager
points with pride to the superior condi-
ton of his roadbed, which in this country
is better known the permanent way
In observing the accompanying illustra-
ton II may be seen that the English road
oed Is superior in point OF strength and
permanency to that of the American lines
Every mile of road in England is built in
the manner shown in the illustration. The
sold braces seen on either side of the rails
are called chairs. The illustration is from
a photograph on the Lancashire and York
shire road. which Is not considered. by any
means, as the best railway in England
The most progressive systems are the north
ana south trunk lines, running from Lon
don to northern England and Scotland
where competition is most spirited The
Lancashire and Yorkshire railway is an
east and west system, running principally
from Liverpool to points on the east coast
of the country.
On nearly every railway in England par
tcularly the London and Northwestern, the
ties are OF weII-SeasOned Baltic timber
into which CreOsOte Oil is forced by hy-
draulic pressure through the pores of the
wood TO the extent of three and three-quar-
ter gallons to each tie. The tie is 8 feet in
length, 10 inches wide and ) inches thick
and, when creosoted weighs about l75
pounds. To each tie two steel chairs each
weighing 10 pounds, are secured by two
Iron spikes and two galvanized iron screws
a layer OF hair felt being Interposed be-
tween the tie and the chair The spikes are
6 inches in length and weigh about one
and one-half pounds. The screws have
hexagorai head, are also slightly tapered
and are a few ounces heavier than the
spikes, and are Ga inches in length
A creosoted oak ferule or socket is in
serted in each hole in the chair, through
which the screws are driven so as to obtain
a mechanical fit by simple means. The
steel rails. which are laid in the chairs are
thirty. feet in length, and weigh 800 pounds
or ninety pounds per lineal yard. For the
past two or three years, however, steel
rails, weighing no pounds per lineal yard,
have been substituted, taking the place of
the ninety-pound per yard rail. In some
places, on the London and Northwestern
where new rails have been laid. they are
sixty feet in length.