page_title: George L. Vose
section_title: Handbook of Railroad Construction, 1857
hierarchical_section_title: George L. Vose / Published Works / Handbook of Railroad Construction, 1857
caption_attribution_description: English: Table shows the rate and direction of subordination for a first class railroad:
context_page_description: George Leonard Vose was a United States civil engineer and Professor of Civil Engineering at Bowdoin College and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, known as educator in the field of railroads, and from his "Manual for railroad engineers and engineering students".
context_section_description: The subtitle of the "Handbook of railroad construction: for the use of American engineers. Containing the necessary rules, tables, and formulæ for the location, construction, equipment, and management of railroads, as built in the United States." already explains the purpose and content of this work. It wants to offer rules, tables, and formulæ for the location, construction, equipment, and management of railroads. 
  In the Preface Vose further explains that: 
  ... the object of this work was to give in the plainest possible manner all instructions, rules, and tables necessary for the location, construction, equipment, and management of railroads. 
  As a general thing, American engineers are not educated for their business; and when they do possess a knowledge of pure science, they are at a loss how to apply it.
  The reader is presumed acquainted with the elements of arithmetic, geometry, algebra, and mechanics ; being thus provided, he will, by a perusal of what follows, be enabled to correctly proportion bridges, of wood, stone, and iron ; abutments, piers, retaining walls, superstructure, and locomotive engines; and to plan and lay out, execute, and estimate any description of work occurring upon railroads.
  As the object has been more to be useful than original, the best engineering writers and experimenters have been consulted ; among whom are, — Gauthey, Navier, Vicat, Tredgold, Barlow, Totten, Fairbairn, Hodgkinson, Clark, and Lardner. Also a great number of reports by American civil engineers upon railroad matters.
  Vose further explains that the work is written as "handbook" and not a "treatise", more meant as office companion than as a text-book for students. Fifteen years later he renewed this work, entitled "Manual for railroad engineers and engineering students: containing the rules and tables needed for the location, construction, and equipment of railroads as built in the United States". This work had the similar table of content but was prepared for both railroad engineers and engineering students.
caption: Organization scheme of a railroad, 1857.
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