Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-06-09
DECIDE TO TRY
CONCRETE TIES
HUNTINGTON LINES WILL TEST
NEW RAIL SUPPORTS
SANTA FE GIVES cRossPIEcEs
THOROUGH TRIAL
Entire System of Street Cars VIII Be
Equipped with Sectional Grders
If Those Laid Prove
Satisfactory

The new reinforced concrete railway
tie, which for two years has been UNI
der severe test by the Santa Fe rail-
road in their Los Angeles yards. Is to
be given a trial on the Huntington
street railway lines.
This means that Los Angeles, noted
for the superiority of it's street rail-
way service is to take the lead in the
innovation of the concrete tie. me
engineers of the Huntington system,
after studying the results of the tests
made by the Santa Fe railroad, are
enthusiastic over the future of the con-
crete, and 1t is believed the wooden
tie eventually will be abandoned.
Already the concrete ties have been
laid in Spring street, between Eighth
and Ninth streets, and the results are
being closely watched. If the expert
ment is deemed success it will mean
the revolutionizing of the present
methods of the street railway construc-
ton.
t. L. Kulrts, chief engineer of the
Huntington system, has investigated
the effect of the Santa Fe experiment,
and the concrete ties which have been
in use for two years have been found TO
be in as good, if not better, condition
than when first placed in position.
Chief Engineer Kulrts had looked
the costs to the benefits which will be
derived, and is confident if the tests
continue to stand as expected Los An
geles will have system of street
railway lines that will be beneficial to
the city as well as to the stockholders
of the railways.
Tearing Up Streets Detrimental
The matter of tearing up the streets
every few years to replace the old
wooden ties has become a serious prob
lem Not only is the ever recurring
work an eyesore to the citizens. but
1t has proved a great temporary detri-
ment to the business of house in
front of which the street is torn up.
One merchant on Spring street yes
terday afternoon stated that every
time the. street in front of his place
of business is torn up he has figured
1t means, while the work is in progress,
a daily loss of SIS in his business.
Chief Engineer Kulrts has figured
the cost of material and labor of set
ting the concrete tie is but so cents in
excess of the wooden tie.
A wooden tie of the best redwood
material costs $1.50 and the life of a
wooden tie is estimated at five years.
To replace the wooden tie, which
means the tearing up of the street,
costs $3.50 per tie, or $2.75 per lineal
foot, in the change of the roadbed,
The concrete tie can be bought for
$1.75, and the initial costs of laying
the tie is Sc, but so cents more than
the wooden tie. The great advantage,
1t is said, is the fact that the concrete
tie will last 100 years, and thus the
tearing up of the street at regular
five year periods is not necessary.
Rails Last Twenty Years
The. life of an ordinary rail is esti-
mated at twenty years, and with con-
crete ties new rails can be laid with
out digging up the street, simply take
up the old rail, replace it with the new,
but brief work, which could easily be
accomplished at night.
The concrete tie is constructed with
a hole clear through each end, just
outside the rail. The hole is REIN
forced with solid iron rings, the rails
are spiked exactly as is the case with
wooden ties. A spike a trife larger
than the hole is driven in, thus maxi
ing slight groove along the hole, and
by a twist, the slightest fraction of
an inch, makes catch far more secure
than Is possible with wooden tie.
When a new rail is to be laid the
spikes can be removed and driven III
again a fraction of an inch from the
original place, and in this manner
would last more than a lifetime.
Another advantage is that cars ride
more smoothly over the concVete ties,
and the noise of the car is appreciably
lessened.
Between Eighth and Ninth streets on
Spring where the test is being made,
sixty-foot rails, eight inches high and
with two and one-half inch ball have
been laid, these rails having been esti-
mated to last twenty-five years.
Engineer Kulrts is confident the sue
cess of the concrete rail is assured
and business men who are watching
the experiment are hopeful of it's sue
cess, as is every person who has the
beauty of Los Angeles at heart, for con-
stantly torn up streets have become
distasteful eyesore.
The Huntington system has always
forged to the front in the matter of
street railway improvements and this
latest innovation, if successful, will be
used on all it's lines.