The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-07-15
New Machine Invented by
H. w. Jacobs q Success.
MANY TEST ARE MADE.
Will Pr0long Life of Ties Indef
a. initely.
Other Items of Interest in
Railway Circles.

For many years the railroads of the
country have been experimenting with
various plans and devices for over
coming the great expense incident to
the rotting out of ties, which amounts
to millions of dollars. The plan of
screw spikes for holding the rails to
the ties has been used by some of the
English and other roads, but their use
in this country has been impossible
because of the great expense of laying
track with them.
The Santa Fee bids fair to overcome
this condition, however, as by the use
of a machine, perfected in the local
shops. 1t has been found possible to
lay track with screw spikes faster than
the ties can be laid ahead of it. one
of the officials, who has given this
matter much thought, has been H. w.
Jacobs. assistant superintendent of mo-
tive power of the system, and he has
had the assistance of others in work.
ing out the problem.
Few people except those directly In
terested in the timber situation real
| ize the magnitude of the problem con-
fronting railroad managers in connec-
| ton with the supply of ties. Recent
| estimates place the number of ties in
use at the present time on the rail-
roads of the United States at 100000
| 900, worth on an average Of so cents
each, or a total value of $500. 1000. 900.
With this number constantly subjected
| to wear and decay, it requires over
/ 100,000,0O0 new ties annually for re-
| newals, the production of which would
require not less than 100000 acres of
| forest, or in other words, to maintain
the supply there should be two trees
| growing for every tie that has to be
| replaced.
The question of future supply has
| already assumed serious proportions
and some of the large railroads have
| sent representatives to foreign coun-
tries to check up the available supply
| of timber and large shipments of ties
| are being received from time to time
4 by almost all the western roads.
The progressive spirit. SO dominant
among Santa Fe officials, has enabled
| them to keep abreast of the times in
| this respect, and the treatment of ties
| with representatives., to increase their
durability. and the planting of sew
eral thousand acres of eucalyptus
| trees to furnish a future supply are
| two methods which they have employ
| ed IN order to overcome excessive costs
| for the timber. -
| They have. however, followed the
matter up still further and expert
| ments are now being conducted with
| the view of Replacing the ordinary rail
| spike with a screw spike, as they have
| found that the ordinary spike when
| driven into the tie, distorts the fiber
/ of the wood to such an extent as to
| The screw spike does not impair the
| fiber in the least and possesses three
| times the holding capacity of the ordi-
nary spike, but IS not now in general
use due to excessive cost of applica-
| ton.
This difficulty has been overcome by
| designing a special hand car equipped
| with a gasoline engine and suitable
mechanism for drilling holes and
screwing in the spikes. so that two
men can apply spikes faster than the
| average sized section gang can lay the
| ties.
Tests with this machine have proved
very satisfactory and it is expected
| that the use of the screw spike will
be extended to all points of the system
as rapidly as facilities will permit. The
machine is now recognized as a neces-
sity In construction work.
| To further prolong the life of the
ties, new machine is being designed
to drill the spike holes in the tie pre-
vious to applying the treating solution
| as this will permit the preservatfve to
reach the portion of the tie exposed
through the application of the spike.
mile Of track built with the screw
spike has been in operation near To-
peka for some time and has beer
found to be fully up to the expecta-
lions of the railroad people.