BRITISH V. AMERICAN RAILWAYS.

Evening Star, Issue 11893, 22 May 1903, Page 1

BRITISH V. AMERICAN RAILWAYS.

The weight of the rails laid is much the same in Great Britain and in the States, the American standard heavy track consisting of 1001b rails, with a 6in base spiked to from fourteen to sixteen sleepers per 30ft rail, length; whilst on the leading British lines the rails weigh from "851b to 1031b per yard, and are supported on cast-iron chair? secured to twelve sleepers per. rail length. Whilst the rail weights are similar, says ' Engineering,' the English system gives a much greater bearing, both to the rails on the sleepers and to the sleepers on the ballast, than does the American method. In the latter case* the sleepers measure Bft by Bin by 7in, so that even with sixteen under a rail length the total bearing of the rail on the sleeper is but 768 square inches, whilst the twelve cast-iron chairs provided on the British system afford a bearing area on the sleepers of 1,260 square inches per rail length. Again, the bearing of the sixtevi American sleepers on the ballast is but 85.3 square feet, whilst the dozen 9ft by lOin by sin sleepers used in Great Britain provide a bearing area on the ballast of 90 square feet. The American method of attaching the rails by spikes is, however, condemned, but a good word is said for the movable frogs, which are common in the States, but almost unknown in England. With these frogs the gap in the mil where one rail crosses another is abol'shed, which is undoubtedly an improvement.