Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1910-01-12
SANTA fE GUARDING
LIFE OF ITS TIES
HARD OAK PLUGS AND SCREW
SPIKES DO THE
WORK.
TRACK WORK DONE BY mAcHIn-
cry A RECENT
INVENTION.

~ %AN$AAoDAA1 ORDh1 Santa
rahyay Is having such great success
with the late use of its famous tie
finishing and screw spike driving ma
chine tAat plans are being drawn ana
are about completed for the construc-
tion OF a lighter spike driver which
viii be used on sections and on differ
ent divisions for repair and renewal
work. These new drivers will be
driven by 20 horsepower gasollneI
motor. will be self propelling and
will be used for general track work
taking the place of the light gasollnel
section cars now used on some roads,
over tire country.
The results of the new machIneI
have not only created new systemI
of track maintenance ON the Santa
F'e but have attracted other roads inI
the United States. The benefits OIL
the system have been sought after
and viii be placed in general use in
this country before many years.
1t is well known fact that the
soft creosoted ties now in use win
give excellen track service and they
are considered as good as the oaks
except in two respects. The soft ties
are not as dense and solid as the oaks
and as result the rails or tie plates
Will pound itself down into the wood
under the weight OF the traffic, smash
in the wood fibres and weakening
the tie on both ends. In some cases
the heavy engines on particularly
soft piece of track will saw tie sew
eral inches and eventually it win give
the rail, place more weight on other
ties and thus make a bad piece of
track for repairs and for fast run
ming
The other objection to the soft
creosote ties is that on account or
their condition they are unable to-
hold the spikes as the latter should
be held. The terrific pounding oil
the immense wheels and the pressure
OF the fanges soon work the spikes
into the ties and they form a hole
where the strength is loosened and
the elements ooze in to help rot the
timber Ia repairing such damages
tie gage of the rails is maintained
with difficulty and the spikes must
be redriven. In this way the strength
of a tie is measured by its ability TO
hold a spike and keep it in good
shape.
J. w Kendrick, vice-president OF
the Santa Fe, has studied the tie
situation on his road for several
years and he has patented a method
by which to use the advantages OF
the low first cost and long life of the
treated soft wood tie and overcome
its objections.
The tie, before being treated is
placed through a series of machines
and it leads the following life: The
/ first bores four holes ia inches IN
diameter, two at each end, spaced.
five or six inches, according to the
width OF the base of the rail used.
These holes are staggered" and do
not come opposite each other ON the
same end. All four holes are boreuI
at once.
The next machine cuts coarse
screw thread in each hole. The
third machine screws into the holes
four oak plugs threaded to fit the.
screw previously cut in the holes.
The plugs are tapered or enlarged at
the top and are forced very tightly
against thi, taper.
Then comes the last machine
which cuts of the projecting ends of
the plugs, and also gains and faces
the tie to parallel surfaces to receive.
the tie plates. After this process the
tie is put in the treating tanks ana
the chemicals are forced into the
wood under 200 pounds pressure, CIV
ing deep penetration.
There are many advantages toI
these hard wood plugs. The plates
and rails are supported by them.
The end grain of the oak plugs give
far greater resistance to compression
than is offered b. soft wood. The
plugs are indefinitely renewable, the
useful life OF the tie is limited only to
its general decay said the Railroad
Age-Gazette in commenting on the
effects of the new processes not long
ago.
The holding power of these screw
spikes in the soft wood through the
agency Of the oak plugs is so great
that in a test made on the Santa Fe
recently the spikes were twisted on
without stripping the hold of the
spike in the plug.
1t would be possible for the santa
Re to locate number of these tie
plugging machines at different points
over the systen but the officials have
found that it is much cheaper toI
place the machines on wheels ana
send the cars around to the different
tie treating plants over the country.
Instead of bringing the ties to theI
plugging machines the machines are
brought to the ties, saving much eii
the expense of hanoHng.
Another reason for mounting these
machines On cars is ~ facilitate the
renewal OF ties already in service.
A complete set of machines is used
by the Santa Fe for this purpose. mi
reworking old ties eIt on the road the
old cut spikes are drawn ana the ties
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