RAILWAY SLEEPERS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXII, Issue 7386, 31 October 1884, Page 3

RAILWAY SLEEPERS.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, — I notice in your paper of Oct. 25 a remark from the Minister cf Public Works on the subject of creosoting sleepers. This remark strikes me as being troublesome and expensive. Taking the life of a creosoted sleeper at five years, it denotes that every three feet of line will cost 5s every five years for wooden sleepers alone. This will barely cover the cost of getting the sleepers carried to and from the creosoting factory to the place where they are to be laid down for use. Then there are the four spikes used to each sleeper for fastening the rail down to the sleeper. They would cost say Is or Is 2d, making a total of about 6s per yard for spikes and sleepers, or about £1 4s per yard every twenty years. Tho wood could be used to advantage for building purposes or for fuel for locomotive engines; but you cannot use it to advantage for railway sleepers, as it cannot compare with iron in any way. For instance, a good iron pot sleeper road could be laid down at a cost of 9s per yard or less, and when down it would last a lifetime, and the cost of maintenance would not amount to more than Id per yard per year. If this suggestion should catch the eye of any members of the House, it may raise a question as to the best way of doing the work. I may mention that the wooden sleepers having to be renewed once in five years adds considerably to the cost of maintenance. This extra labour would not occur with the iron pot sleeper road. The cost of re-laying tho road with new wooden sleepers would pay the interest for the extra price of the iron pot sleeper in the first five years. This is not including the price of the sleepers, which means 6s per yard, but doing the work twice over, whereas once would do for a lifetime with the iron pot road. Facts are stubborn things.—l am, &0., AN OBSERVER.