The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-06-24
LAY HEAVIER RAIL
Two Blocks Street Car Track
To Be Improved.
From 25-POund Traffic Now De-
mands 134-POund Steel.

When the Topeka Railway company,
some time next month, relays its dou-
BILE track on Kansas avenue, between
Sixth and Eighth avenues. it will be
with the heaviest steel ever used in
Topeka The new rails, which are
already here ready for installation.
stand nine inches high and in weight
run l34 pounds to the yard.
Compared with the dinky strips of
iron which supported the old horse
cars back in the days when any kind
OF a transportation system was G nov
city 20 Topeka. the new rails COM
pare favorably with the other changes
and improvements made since that
time. and are heavier than that used
on many of the important railroads Of
the country
The first street car rails laid in To
peka did not weigh more than TWEEN
ty-five pounds. Albert Patten. man
ager OF the company. hesitates to state
Just when the first track was built for
fear some old timer will call his hand.
but believes IL was in 1856 The first
rail were not supported with ties In
stead they were spiked to heavy tim
bers laid len-t hwise with the street.
Rails on a "Chair."
These rails we're in use until 1892
when they gave way TO what was
pound rail AMI standing four and one
half inches high. These rails were
sent on a Chair" which elevated the
top OF the rails eight inches above the
ties which came into use at that time.
This permitted the laying of the Colo
RADIO sandstone blocks in between the
rails and along the outer edges of the
track. These same blocks are still in
use. These were also the first rails
put down by the Illinois Traction COM
pany which took over the street car
system in 1883.
The third rclaying of rails on Kan
sas avenue occurred in 1903 when the
rails in use al the present time, stand
ing eight inches high and Weighing
so pounds to the yard. We're put down.
Now comes the fourth relaying, when
rails nine inches high and weighing
134 pounds to the yard will be used.
The new rails are also sixty-six feet
feet long
Where Traffic Is Heavy.
The relaying on Kansas avenue be-
tween Sixth and Eighth avenues is
necessary at this time because that is
the section subjected to the heaviest
traffic Traffic is almost as heavy as
far south as Tenth avenue now but
for many years one set of cars turned
west on Eighth avenue. and even yet
many cars going to the barns turn at
the same place. The track between
Sixth avenue and Seventh street is the
real throat of the entire system. AS
part of the downtown loop 1t is
used by every car on the lines.
The work or putting down the new
rails will be started in about thirty
days and will be completed as quickly
as possible to avoid Interruption to
traffic. The same ties will be used
and they Will not be raised. The new
rails are an inch higher than those in
use at present but the track is a trifle
low due to the fact that the paving
has been resurfaced. All of the joints
will be electric welded.
The same electric welding process
will also enable the company to use a
large number f the old rails All of
the worn and split sections will be Gu.
out and the pieces welded together
After being smOothed down they can
be used on lines where the traffic is
not as heavy. 10 4 good advantage.