The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-09-01
HHILHUHU NLWO'
Santa Fe Makes Test With Con.
crete R0adbed.
\ Superintendent Tice Makes
Local Experiments.
SOLID AND DURABLE.
Railways May Adopt Universal
Cement Crossing.
Other Items of General Interest
in Traffic World.

TT the ideas of H. A. Tice, superln-
4endent of the western division OF the
santa Fre. work out successfully 1t is
hut a question of time until the ran
road roadbeds. through the towns anu
cities will be made of concrete. .
At this time Superintendent lice Is
comnIeting in Hutchinson, KAN
large he'd of cement just beneath tne
MANY tracks crossing a street II ms
CITY. In this bed of concrete the su-
perintendent has placed the reg 100
treated tie, on the ties the Dig wv
mound rails with the famous scle"
spike. 49,. - -oadhed
and track construction is the NUS ~ -
able and the smoothest in the couh ~
or along the lines OF the santa 49,
division superintendent meets the re
C1I,irer1ents and stands the pounulhs
and tearing of freight and passehSel
trains together with sWltchns' InS
Santa. Fe will investigate into d sllilll'i
work all over the system.
Bothered for many years WIN ttie
incessant grumbling on the part OIL tile
citv officials of Hutchinson because TIC
crossing at the street and track inter
section was in bad shape ana coulu
not be maintained in good repair gu
perintendent Tice thought OF the con-
crete crossing scheme .
solid bed IL inches thick was
placed under the tracks. grooves nldue
for the ties, and the track rePla0eI
All left for the Santa Fe to 90 IL
to make a thorough test OF the rod1 T.
bed and see by practical experience Il
the scheme is success. -
Ffverv railroad has trouble with city
street croSsings-as well as rodu cross
ings in the outlying districts. Ine pres
ent practice is to lay planks petWeeiI
the rails or pave tnein. ne oii ~ avs
idea is the big bugaboo to the rdllWdya.
Horses stumbling and breaking tnelI
legs continual Wrangling with county
and CITY authorities and constant re-
pair have made them nuisance
In Topeka the city oft1c1als nave pass
cd ordinances and threatened arrest be-
cause the railway lines did not keep up
their crossings according to the ordln-
ances. To maintain a crossing IL Is
necessary to have a man on the 1oo az
ali times and small usage Will rum
them for public safety.
Rut what are the railroads going
TO do? The cities and the counties
have offered no uggestions-they SIM
ply holler for repairs. -.
its division superintendent, II. A. I1ce,
has devised this concrete bed and 1t is
believed that this will solve the n1ys-
tery-it will be expensive to railway
in the beginning-but cheaper in the
end.
Some railroad men are claiming that
this concrete bed for the ties will eX-
tend to the roadbedS in the country
as well as within city limits. They
say that it will mean a big protection
to the ties, will do away with the con-
slant ballast and roadbed trouble and
will mean smooth and safe travelling
for all trains.
The old belief among railroad build
ers was that a rather soft Springy
roadbed was necessary. They claimed
that a stiff setting for the ties meant
hard riding and dangerous travel. But
with this concrete base a roadbed can
be made level and smooth as well as
solid and safe.
Railroad men all over the country
will watch with interest this test by
the Santa Fe in Hutchinson.