Chapter III: 182 (3)

The principal tool used by platelayers for lifting the permanent way is a long iron-shod wooden lever, as shown in Fig. 368. The point of the lower end is pushed under the sleeper, and the curved shoulder placed on a large stone or piece of wood as a support, and then by pulling down the upper end of the lever the road can be lifted to the height required. Screw lifting-jacks of various kinds are also used for the same purpose, the foot or base of the jack resting on the ballast, while the claws grasp the under side of the rail, and raise it by means of the screw. With appliances which lift by the rails, the sleepers have to be raised by the holding power of the spikes or bolts, an operation which is apt to throw undue strain on spikes. Where possible it is preferable to lift from the under side of the sleepers.

Beaters similar to the one shown on Fig. 369 are used for packing the ballast. One end of the beater is pointed like a pick, and serves to loosen the ballast or broken stone, and the other end is made somewhat in the hammer-head form to pack or beat the ballast under the sleeper. With skilled men the beater is a most useful tool, speedy and effective in its action. Held in both hands, it is raised slightly, and then brought down sharply, the hammer-head striking the gravel or broken stone placed alongside for packing under the sleeper. A series of smart blows can be given with rapidity and without requiring any great muscular effort. In some foreign countries there is difficulty in initiating the natives to work with the ordinary beater, on account of the stooping position necessary for its use. To meet this difficulty the writer has in many cases substituted a packing or tamping bar, as shown in Fig. 370. This bar, about 5 feet long, is made of light round wrought-iron or steel, with a ring-shaped handle at one end, and an ordinary beater head at the other. The workman using this bar stands upright, guides the bar, held loosely, with his left hand, and with his right gives a continuance of smart blows. This tool works well in the hands of light active natives, who can thus give a number of rapid strokes without much exertion.

The simple rail-bender, or _Jim Crow_, of the form shown in Fig. 371, is much used by platelayers for giving a slight bend or set to rails which have to be laid down on sharp curves on main line or cross-over roads. The rail is laid across the two arms, and the screw turned round 241 and downwards by means of an iron bar lever used as a spanner or wrench to the nut shown on the sketch. The same tool is also serviceable for straightening rails which have become crooked or kinked. Large and more comprehensive machines are used for bending rails in large quantities or setting them to exact curvature, but, being heavy and cumbersome, they are rarely taken away from the store-yards.

Strong steel shovels of the form shown in Fig. 372 are the most suitable for platelayers’ general use when working with gravel, sand, or broken stones.

For driving iron spikes and wooden keys in cast-iron chairs a long-handled hammer is the most convenient for work, and its long swinging action produces considerable force without much actual labour.

Road-gauges, nut-wrenches, short straight-edges, spirit-levels, ratchet-drills, augurs, and cold setts of well-tempered steel for cutting rails, are all required by the men engaged in laying permanent way.

The following summaries give the estimated cost of materials alone for one mile of steel bull-head rail and steel flange rail permanent way of different weights. The 90-lb. steel bull-head rail is at present the heaviest of that section laid down to any extent on our home railways, and the chairs and fastenings are made heavy to correspond to the rail and the traffic for which it is intended. As the rails in the summaries become lighter, the weights of the chairs and fastenings are decreased. As yet there are not many samples of the 100-lb. steel flange rail; but in those places where it has been laid down it has been supported with a liberal supply of sleepers, to obtain increased bearing surface. With a 5½-inch flange, and a rectangular sleeper 10 inches wide, the bearing surface on the wood is only about 55 square inches, as compared with about 100 square inches, the bearing surface of a large cast-iron chair for a heavy bull-head rail. As previously explained, a small bearing surface on a sleeper tends to the cutting down into the wood, and rendering the sleeper unsafe and useless even before it has become unserviceable from decay: hence the reason for ample bearing surface on the sleeper. The last two summaries refer to 3-foot narrow-gauge lines. In more than one instance the 45-lb. rails first laid down have been found much too light for the engines required to work the traffic, and when making extensions of the system 242 65-lb. rails have been adopted. Indeed, when taking into consideration the weight of most of the narrow-gauge engines, generally from 24 to 28 tons in working order, and their short wheel-base, it would appear that a 65-lb. rail is the minimum which should be used both for stability and economy in maintenance.

The summaries are prepared from examples in actual use, and represent the number and weight of sleepers, chairs, and fastenings in each instance. Even with the same weight of rail, the practice differs on various lines as to the weights of the chairs and fastenings; and the selections have been made to show a fair average. On some railways the chairs are secured partly by tree-nails and partly by spikes, or crab bolts; on others only spikes are used. The prices put down are the estimated values of the materials delivered into the Permanent Way Stores of our own home railways, and are exclusive of all costs of freight, carriage, or distribution to the site of laying down. The prices are only comparative, and fluctuate up or down according to the current value of the raw materials from which the various items are manufactured. Lighter rails and smaller fastenings cost more per ton than those of a heavier type, as they involve more labour and workmanship.

STEEL BULL-HEAD RAILS (90 LBS. PER YARD).
_Estimated Cost of Materials for One Mile of Single Line._

-------------------------------+--------------------+----------+----------
| Weight per mile | Price. | Amount.
| of single line. | |
-------------------------------+--------------------+----------+----------
|tons. cwt. qrs. lbs.| £ s. d. | £ s. d.
Steel bull-head rails, 90 lbs. | | |
per yard (30-ft. lengths) | 141 8 2 0 | 5 0 0 | 707 2 6
Steel fish-plates (deep), | | |
41 lbs. per pair | 6 10 0 0 | 6 15 0 | 43 17 6
Fish-bolts and nuts | 1 4 0 0 | 12 15 0 | 15 6 0
2112 creosoted sleepers, | | |
9 ft. × 10 in. × 5 in. | -- | 0 3 10 | 404 16 0
4224 cast-iron chairs, | | |
each 50 lbs. | 94 5 3 0 | 3 10 0 | 330 0 1
8448 iron cup-headed spikes | 3 15 2 0 | 10 0 0 | 37 15 0
8448 tree-nails, at per 1000 | -- | 3 10 0 | 29 11 4
4224 oak keys, at per 1000 | -- | 5 0 0 | 21 2 5
-------------------------------+--------------------+----------+----------
£|1589 10 10
---------------------------------------------------------------+----------

STEEL BULL-HEAD RAILS (85 LBS. PER YARD). 243
_Estimated Cost of Materials for One Mile of Single Line._

-------------------------------+--------------------+----------+----------
| Weight per mile | Price. | Amount.
| of single line. | |
-------------------------------+--------------------+----------+----------
|tons. cwt. qrs. lbs.| £ s. d. | £ s. d.
Steel bull-head rails, 85 lbs. | | |
per yard (26-ft. length ) | 134 0 0 0 | 5 0 0 | 670 0 0
Steel fish-plates (deep), | | |
38 lbs. per pair | 6 17 3 0 | 6 15 0 | 46 9 10
Fish-bolts and nuts | 1 4 3 0 | 12 15 0 | 15 15 7
2030 creosoted sleepers, | | |
9 ft. × 10 in. × 5 in. | -- | 0 3 10 | 389 1 8
4060 cast-iron chairs, | | |
each 45 lbs. | 81 11 1 0 | 3 10 0 | 285 9 5
8120 iron cup-headed spikes | 3 12 2 0 | 10 0 0 | 36 5 0
4060 tree-nails, at per 1000 | -- | 3 10 0 | 14 4 2
4060 oak keys, at per 1000 | -- | 5 0 0 | 20 6 0
-------------------------------+--------------------+----------+----------
£|1477 11 8
---------------------------------------------------------------+----------

STEEL BULL-HEAD RAILS (80 LBS. PER YARD).
_Estimated Cost of Materials for One Mile of Single Line._

-------------------------------+--------------------+----------+----------
| Weight per mile | Price. | Amount.
| of single line. | |
-------------------------------+--------------------+----------+----------
|tons. cwt. qrs. lbs.| £ s. d. | £ s. d.
Steel bull-head rails, 80 lbs. | | |
per yard (26-ft. lengths) | 125 14 0 0 | 5 0 0 | 628 10 0
Steel fish-plates (deep), | | |
37 lbs. per pair | 6 14 1 0 | 6 15 0 | 45 6 2
Fish-bolts and nuts | 1 4 3 0 | 12 15 0 | 15 15 7
2030 creosoted sleepers, | | |
9 ft. × 10 in. × 5 in. | -- | 0 3 10 | 389 1 8
4060 cast-iron chairs, | | |
each 40 lbs. | 72 10 0 0 | 3 10 0 | 253 15 0
8120 iron cup-headed spikes | 3 12 2 0 | 10 0 0 | 36 5 0
4060 tree-nails, at per 1000 | -- | 3 10 0 | 14 4 2
4060 oak keys, at per 1000 | -- | 5 0 0 | 20 6 0
-------------------------------+--------------------+----------+----------
£|1403 3 7
---------------------------------------------------------------+----------

STEEL BULL-HEAD RAILS (75 LBS. PER YARD).
_Estimated Cost of Materials for One Mile of Single Line._

------------------------------+--------------------+----------+----------
| Weight per mile | Price. | Amount.
| of single line. | |
------------------------------+--------------------+----------+----------
|tons. cwt. qrs. lbs.| £ s. d. | £ s. d.
Steel bull-head rails, 75 lbs.| | |
per yard (26-ft. lengths) | 117 0 0 0 | 5 0 0 | 585 0 0
Steel fish-plates (deep), | | |
35 lbs. per pair | 6 7 0 0 | 6 15 0 | 42 17 3
Fish-bolts and nuts | 1 4 3 0 | 12 15 0 | 15 15 7
2030 creosoted sleepers, | | |
9 ft. × 10 in. × 5 in. | -- | 0 3 10 | 389 1 8
4060 cast-iron chairs, | | |
each 37 lbs. | 67 1 1 0 | 3 10 0 | 234 14 5
12,180 iron cup-headed spikes | 5 8 3 0 | 10 0 0 | 54 7 6
4060 oak keys, at per 1000 | -- | 5 0 0 | 20 6 0
------------------------------+--------------------+----------+----------
£|1342 2 5
------------------------------+--------------------+----------+----------

STEEL BULL-HEAD RAILS (70 LBS. PER YARD). 244
_Estimated Cost of Materials for One Mile of Single Line._

------------------------------+--------------------+----------+----------
| Weight per mile | Price. | Amount.
| of single line. | |
------------------------------+--------------------+----------+----------
|tons. cwt. qrs. lbs.| £ s. d. | £ s. d.
Steel bull-head rails, 70 lbs.| | |
per yard (26-ft. lengths) | 110 0 0 0 | 5 0 0 | 550 0 0
Steel fish-plates (deep), | | |
32 lbs. per pair | 5 16 0 0 | 6 15 0 | 39 3 0
Fish-bolts and nuts | 1 2 0 0 | 12 15 0 | 14 0 6
2030 creosoted sleepers, | | |
9 ft. × 10 in. × 5 in. | -- | 0 3 10 | 389 1 8
4060 cast-iron chairs, | | |
each 34 lbs. | 61 12 2 0 | 3 10 0 | 215 13 9
8120 iron cup-headed spikes | 3 3 2 0 | 10 0 0 | 31 15 0
4060 oak keys, at per 1000 | -- | 4 10 0 | 18 5 5
------------------------------+--------------------+----------+----------
£|1257 19 4
--------------------------------------------------------------+----------

STEEL BULL-HEAD RAILS (65 LBS. PER YARD).
_Estimated Cost of Materials for One Mile of Single Line._

-------------------------------+--------------------+----------+----------
| Weight per mile | Price. | Amount.
| of single line. | |
-------------------------------+--------------------+----------+----------
|tons. cwt. qrs. lbs.| £ s. d. | £ s. d.
Steel bull-head rails, 65 lbs. | | |
per yard (26-ft. lengths) | 102 3 0 0 | 5 5 0 | 536 5 9
Steel fish-plates (deep), | | |
28 lbs. per pair | 5 1 2 0 | 7 0 0 | 35 10 6
Fish-bolts and nuts | 1 1 0 0 | 13 0 0 | 13 13 0
2030 creosoted sleepers, | | |
9 ft. × 9 in. × 4½ in. | -- | 0 3 0 | 304 10 0
4060 cast-iron chairs, | | |
each 28 lbs. | 50 15 0 0 | 4 0 0 | 203 0 0
8120 iron cup-headed spikes | 2 19 0 0 | 10 10 0 | 30 19 6
4060 oak keys, at per 1000 | -- | 4 0 0 | 16 4 9
-------------------------------+--------------------+----------+----------
£|1140 3 6
---------------------------------------------------------------+----------

STEEL FLANGE RAILS (100 LBS. PER YARD).
_Estimated Cost of Materials for One Mile of Single Line._

-------------------------------+--------------------+----------+----------
| Weight per mile | Price. | Amount.
| of single line. | |
-------------------------------+--------------------+----------+----------
|tons. cwt. qrs. lbs.| £ s. d. | £ s. d.
Steel flange rails, 100 lbs. | | |
per yard (30-ft. lengths) | 157 3 0 0 | 5 0 0 | 785 15 0
Steel fish-plates (deep), | | |
42 lbs. per pair | 6 12 0 0 | 6 10 0 | 42 18 0
Fish-bolts and nuts | 1 5 0 0 | 12 15 0 | 15 18 9
2464 creosoted sleepers, | | |
9 ft. × 10 in. × 5 in. | -- | 0 3 10 | 472 5 4
8448 dog-head spikes | 3 6 0 0 | 12 10 0 | 41 5 0
704 fang clips | 0 8 3 0 | 13 10 0 | 5 18 2
1408 crab bolts | 1 6 3 0 | 12 10 0 | 16 14 5
-------------------------------+--------------------+----------+----------
£|1380 14 8
---------------------------------------------------------------+----------

STEEL FLANGE RAILS (79 LBS. PER YARD). 245
_Estimated Cost of Materials for One Mile of Single Line._

------------------------------+--------------------+----------+----------
| Weight per mile | Price. | Amount.
| of single line. | |
------------------------------+--------------------+----------+----------
|tons. cwt. qrs. lbs.| £ s. d. | £ s. d.
Steel flange rails, 79 lbs. | | |
per yard (26-ft. lengths) | 125 0 0 0 | 5 0 0 | 625 0 0
Steel fish-plates (deep), | | |
37 lbs. per pair | 6 14 1 0 | 6 10 0 | 43 12 8
Fish-bolts and nuts | 1 4 0 0 | 12 15 0 | 15 6 0
2030 creosoted sleepers, | | |
9 ft. × 10 in. × 5 in. | -- | 0 3 10 | 389 1 8
6496 dog-head spikes | 2 10 3 0 | 12 10 0 | 31 14 5
812 fang clips | 0 10 0 0 | 13 10 0 | 6 15 0
1624 crab bolts | 1 10 3 0 | 12 10 0 | 19 4 5
------------------------------+--------------------+----------+----------
£|1130 14 2
--------------------------------------------------------------+----------

STEEL FLANGE RAILS (74 LBS. PER YARD).
_Estimated Cost of Materials for One Mile of Single Line._

------------------------------+--------------------+----------+----------
| Weight per mile | Price. | Amount.
| of single line. | |
------------------------------+--------------------+----------+----------
|tons. cwt. qrs. lbs.| £ s. d. | £ s. d.
Steel flange rails, 74 lbs. | | |
per yard (30-ft. lengths) | 116 5 3 0 | 5 0 0 | 581 8 9
Steel fish-plates (deep), | | |
30½ lbs. per pair | 4 15 3 0 | 6 10 0 | 31 2 5
Fish-bolts and nuts | 1 1 0 0 | 12 15 0 | 13 7 9
1936 creosoted sleepers, | | |
9 ft. × 10 in. × 5 in. | -- | 0 3 10 | 371 1 4
6336 dog-head spikes | 2 9 2 0 | 12 10 0 | 30 18 9
704 fang clips | 0 8 3 0 | 13 10 0 | 5 18 2
1408 crab bolts | 1 6 3 0 | 12 10 0 | 16 14 5
------------------------------+--------------------+----------+----------
£|1050 11 7
--------------------------------------------------------------+----------

STEEL FLANGE RAILS (65 LBS. PER YARD).
_Estimated Cost of Materials for One Mile of Single Line._

------------------------------+--------------------+----------+----------
| Weight per mile | Price. | Amount.
| of single line. | |
------------------------------+--------------------+----------+----------
|tons. cwt. qrs. lbs.| £ s. d. | £ s. d.
Steel flange rails, 65 lbs. | | |
per yard (30-ft. lengths) | 102 3 0 0 | 5 10 0 | 561 16 6
Steel fish-plates (deep), | | |
27 lbs. per pair | 4 4 3 0 | 7 5 0 | 30 14 5
Fish-bolts and nuts | 1 0 0 0 | 13 0 0 | 13 0 0
1936 creosoted sleepers, | | |
9 ft. × 10 in. × 5 in. | -- | 0 3 10 | 371 1 4
6336 dog-head spikes | 2 9 2 0 | 12 10 0 | 30 18 9
704 fang clips | 0 8 0 0 | 13 10 0 | 5 8 0
1408 crab bolts | 1 6 3 0 | 12 10 0 | 16 14 5
------------------------------+--------------------+----------+----------
£|1029 13 5
--------------------------------------------------------------+----------

STEEL FLANGE RAILS (60 LBS. PER YARD). 246
_Estimated Cost of Materials for One Mile of Single Line._

------------------------------+--------------------+----------+----------
| Weight per mile | Price. | Amount.
| of single line. | |
------------------------------+--------------------+----------+----------
|tons. cwt. qrs. lbs.| £ s. d. | £ s. d.
Steel flange rails, 60 lbs. | | |
per yard (30-ft. lengths) | 94 5 3 0 | 5 10 0 | 518 11 7
Steel fish-plates (deep), | | |
25 lbs. per pair | 3 18 2 0 | 7 5 0 | 28 9 2
Fish-bolts and nuts | 1 0 0 0 | 13 0 0 | 13 0 0
2112 creosoted sleepers, | | |
9 ft. × 10 in. × 5 in. | -- | 0 3 10 | 404 16 0
7040 dog-head spikes | 2 15 0 0 | 12 10 0 | 34 7 6
704 fang clips | 0 8 0 0 | 13 10 0 | 5 8 0
1408 crab bolts | 1 6 3 0 | 12 10 0 | 16 14 5
------------------------------+--------------------+----------+----------
£|1021 6 8
--------------------------------------------------------------+----------

STEEL FLANGE RAILS (50 LBS. PER YARD).
_Estimated Cost of Materials for One Mile of Single Line._

------------------------------+--------------------+----------+----------
| Weight per mile | Price. | Amount.
| of single line. | |
------------------------------+--------------------+----------+----------
|tons. cwt. qrs. lbs.| £ s. d. | £ s. d.
Steel flange rails, 50 lbs. | | |
per yard (30-ft. lengths) | 78 11 2 0 | 5 15 0 | 451 16 1
Steel fish-plates (deep), | | |
22 lbs. per pair | 3 9 1 0 | 7 10 0 | 25 19 5
Fish-bolts and nuts | 0 18 0 0 | 13 10 0 | 12 3 0
2112 creosoted sleepers, | | |
9 ft. × 9 in. × 4½ in. | -- | 0 3 0 | 316 16 0
7040 dog-head spikes | 2 7 1 0 | 13 0 0 | 30 14 3
704 fang clips | 0 6 1 0 | 14 0 0 | 4 7 6
1408 crab bolts | 1 2 0 0 | 13 0 0 | 14 6 0
------------------------------+--------------------+----------+----------
£| 856 2 3
--------------------------------------------------------------+----------

STEEL FLANGE RAILS (65 LBS. PER YARD).
_Estimated Cost of Materials for One Mile of Single Line (3-ft. gauge)._

------------------------------+--------------------+----------+----------
| Weight per mile | Price. | Amount.
| of single line. | |
------------------------------+--------------------+----------+----------
|tons. cwt. qrs. lbs.| £ s. d. | £ s. d.
Steel flange rails, 65 lbs. | | |
per yard (30-ft. lengths) |102 3 0 0 | 5 10 0 | 561 16 6
Steel fish-plates (deep), | | |
27 lbs. per pair | 4 4 3 0 | 7 5 0 | 30 14 5
Fish-bolts and nuts | 1 0 0 0 | 13 0 0 | 13 0 0
2288 creosoted sleepers, | | |
6 ft. × 9 in. × 4½ in. | -- | 0 2 3 | 257 8 0
7744 dog-head spikes | 2 17 0 0 | 12 10 0 | 35 12 6
704 fang clips | 0 7 2 0 | 13 10 0 | 5 1 3
1408 crab bolts | 2 2 0 0 | 12 10 0 | 26 5 0
------------------------------+--------------------+----------+----------
£| 929 17 8
--------------------------------------------------------------+----------

STEEL FLANGE RAILS (45 LBS. PER YARD). 247

_Estimated Cost of Materials for One Mile of Single Line (3-ft. gauge)._

------------------------------+--------------------+----------+----------
| Weight per mile | Price. | Amount.
| of single line. | |
------------------------------+--------------------+----------+----------
|tons. cwt. qrs. lbs.| £ s. d. | £ s. d.
Steel flange rails, 45 lbs. | | |
per yard (26-ft. lengths) | 70 14 1 0 | 5 15 0 | 406 12 0
Steel fish-plates (deep), | | |
16 lbs. per pair | 2 18 0 0 | 7 10 0 | 21 15 0
Fish-bolts and nuts | 0 18 0 0 | 13 10 0 | 12 3 0
2233 creosoted sleepers, | | |
6 ft. × 8 in. × 4 in. | -- | 0 1 10 | 204 13 10
7308 dog-head spikes | 2 14 0 0 | 13 0 0 | 35 2 0
812 fang clips | 0 5 0 0 | 14 0 0 | 3 10 0
1624 crab bolts | 0 18 0 0 | 13 0 0 | 11 14 0
------------------------------+--------------------+----------+----------
£| 695 9 10
--------------------------------------------------------------+----------