(*33.4728 lbs/yd actual weight)
***
Length: 86"
Weight: 80.0 lbs
Width of Ball: 2"
Width at Base: 3"
Height: 3.25"
Unbranded
(Rail has been chisel cut on both ends)
***
This 86" stick of unbranded iron pear rail, which has been chisel cut on both ends, was found in a garage in Ardmore, PA, located not far from the old grade of the Philadelphia & Columbia Railroad.
ORIGIN OF THE T-RAIL.
The imperfections of the
snake-head rails and of the early English substitutes for them
suggested to an American, Mr. Robert L. Stevens, of Hoboken, who was
the son of Col. John Stevens, the prominent early American advocate of
railways, an improvement in rail construction which is the progenitor
of the present T-rail. It is stated that when Mr. Robert L. Stevens,
who was actively identified with the construction of the Camden and
Amboy Railroad, "was on the ship, on his way to Europe to order the
'John Bull,' in 1830, he devoted a considerable amount of time to
whittling out cross-sections of what be thought Would be a good kind of
iron rails to lay on the railroad. The best rail then known was the
T-rail without any base. This style had been adopted by all the most
important roads in Europe. Owing to its peculiar shape, it required a
chair on every cross-tie or stone block, as the case might be. Stevens
was the first man to design the rail which he termed the
H-rail—in other words, a rail with a base which could be spiked
with 'hook-headed' spikes directly to the bearing." Rails made in
accordance with this pattern were laid down upon the Camden and Amboy
when it was first constructed, and methods were also adopted for
joining or splicing the rails which represent a great advance on the
systems then generally prevailing. Of these rails a report of the
company says that they were of the I form invented by Mr. Stevens,
3½ inches high, 2½ inches on the upper running surface,
and 3½ inches in width on its base, weighing 42 pounds to the
yard.
The writer has been credibly informed that Mr. Stevens encountered great difficulty in his efforts to induce a British rail mill to make rails of the improved pattern he had devised. He was obliged to assume the whole responsibility of the scheme, to pay all the extra expenses, and to give heavy security to guard the works against all description of damages that could possibly be inflicted on the rail Works by this innovation, which was evidently regarded as dangerous, or at least highly imprudent, and likely to prove disastrous to all concorned. The supposed grounds for such adverse views must have made a deep impression, for it long period elapsed before the use of T-rails became approximately universal, although some companies adopted the T-rail a few years after it was first used on the Camden and Amboy. The T-rail became widely known as the Vignoles rail, rather than the Stevens rail, because a European engineer, Mr. C. B. Vignoles, hastened its introduction on European railways, using them on English roads during the progress of construction to an extent that gave to them the title of contractors' rails.
A recognition of the usefulness of the improvement must have been comparatively rapid, because by or before 1840 the H- or T-rail was in use on all or portions of the following American lines, viz.: Camden and Amboy; Philadelphia and Reading; Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore; Long Island; portions of the Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad, on which flat, plate, or bar-iron rails had originally been laid; on important New England roads, including the second track of the Boston and Lowell, Boston and Worcester, Boston and Providence, Providence and Stonington; New Castle and Frenchtown; Washington branch of the Baltimore and Ohio, and portions of the Georgia Railroad.
In a description of the Camden and Amboy Railroad, contained in Mr. George W. Smith's appendix to Wood's Treatise on Railroads, and published in 1832, the following reference is made to the T- or H-rails used: "The rails are of rolled iron, 16 feet long, 2-one-eighth inches wide on the top, 3¼ inches at the bottom and 3½ deep; the Dock half-inch thick. The weight is 209 pounds = 39-three-sixteenths pounds per yard. They are secured by clamps of iron, riveted at the extremity of each bar. The rails are attached to the stone blocks and sleepers by means of nails or pins at the sides, driven into wooden plugs. Chairs are dispensed with."
The following interesting letter relating to this subject is published in Mr. J. M. Swank's census report of 1880, on iron and steel manufactures, the writer of the letter being a nephew of Mr. Robert L. Stevens:—
The writer has been credibly informed that Mr. Stevens encountered great difficulty in his efforts to induce a British rail mill to make rails of the improved pattern he had devised. He was obliged to assume the whole responsibility of the scheme, to pay all the extra expenses, and to give heavy security to guard the works against all description of damages that could possibly be inflicted on the rail Works by this innovation, which was evidently regarded as dangerous, or at least highly imprudent, and likely to prove disastrous to all concorned. The supposed grounds for such adverse views must have made a deep impression, for it long period elapsed before the use of T-rails became approximately universal, although some companies adopted the T-rail a few years after it was first used on the Camden and Amboy. The T-rail became widely known as the Vignoles rail, rather than the Stevens rail, because a European engineer, Mr. C. B. Vignoles, hastened its introduction on European railways, using them on English roads during the progress of construction to an extent that gave to them the title of contractors' rails.
A recognition of the usefulness of the improvement must have been comparatively rapid, because by or before 1840 the H- or T-rail was in use on all or portions of the following American lines, viz.: Camden and Amboy; Philadelphia and Reading; Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore; Long Island; portions of the Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad, on which flat, plate, or bar-iron rails had originally been laid; on important New England roads, including the second track of the Boston and Lowell, Boston and Worcester, Boston and Providence, Providence and Stonington; New Castle and Frenchtown; Washington branch of the Baltimore and Ohio, and portions of the Georgia Railroad.
In a description of the Camden and Amboy Railroad, contained in Mr. George W. Smith's appendix to Wood's Treatise on Railroads, and published in 1832, the following reference is made to the T- or H-rails used: "The rails are of rolled iron, 16 feet long, 2-one-eighth inches wide on the top, 3¼ inches at the bottom and 3½ deep; the Dock half-inch thick. The weight is 209 pounds = 39-three-sixteenths pounds per yard. They are secured by clamps of iron, riveted at the extremity of each bar. The rails are attached to the stone blocks and sleepers by means of nails or pins at the sides, driven into wooden plugs. Chairs are dispensed with."
The following interesting letter relating to this subject is published in Mr. J. M. Swank's census report of 1880, on iron and steel manufactures, the writer of the letter being a nephew of Mr. Robert L. Stevens:—
"HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY, May 31, 1881.
DEAR SIR: In answer to your
letter of the 27th instant 1 will say that I have always believed that
Robert L. Stevens was the inventor of what is called the T-rail, and
also of the method of fastening it by spikes, and I have never known
his right to the invention questioned.
The rail of the Liverpool and Manchester Railroad, on its opening, in September, 1830, was of wrought iron, divided into fish-bellied sections, each section being supported by a cast-iron chair, to which it was secured by a wooden wedge. The form was derived from the old cast-iron fish-bellied train rail, cast in single sections, each about 36 inches long. This wrought-iron rail was afterwards improved by making its bottom straight uniformly throughout its length.
Mr. Stevens' invention consisted in adding the broad flange on the bottom, with a base sufficient to carry the load, and shaped so that it could be secured to the wood below it by spikes with hooked heads; thus dispensing with the cast-iron chair, and making the rail and its fastenings such as it now is in common use. In the year 1836 and frequently afterwards he spoke to me about his invention of this rail, and told me that in London, after unsuccessful applications elsewhere in England, shortly after the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railroad, he had applied to Mr. Guest, a member of Parliament, who had large rolling mills in Wales, to take a contract to make his rail for the Camden and Amboy Railroad, of which he was the chief engineer; that Mr. Guest wished to take the contract, but considered that it would be impracticable to roll the rail straight; that, finally, Mr. Guest agreed to go to Wales with him and make a trial; that great difficulty was at first experienced, as the rails coming from the rolls curled like snakes, and distorted in every imaginable way; that, by perseverance, the rail was finally successfully rolled; and that Mr. Guest took the contract. The Camden and Amboy Railroad, laid with this rail, was opened October 9th, 1832, two years after the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railroad. Of this I was a witness.
This rail, long known as the old Camden and Amboy rail, differed but little, either in shape or proportions, from the T-rail now in common use, but weighed only 36 pounds to the yard. For the next six or eight years after the opening of the Camden and Amboy Railroad this rail was but little used here or abroad, nearly all the roads built in the United States using the flat iron bar, about 2½ inches by ¾ inch, nailed to wooden rails, and the English continuing to use the chair and wedge.
My uncle always regretted that he had not patented his invention. He mentioned to me, upwards of forty years ago, that when advised by his friend, Mr. F. B. Ogden, the American consul at Liverpool, who was familiar with the circumstances of his invention, to patent it, he found that it was too late, and that his invention had become public property.
The rail of the Liverpool and Manchester Railroad, on its opening, in September, 1830, was of wrought iron, divided into fish-bellied sections, each section being supported by a cast-iron chair, to which it was secured by a wooden wedge. The form was derived from the old cast-iron fish-bellied train rail, cast in single sections, each about 36 inches long. This wrought-iron rail was afterwards improved by making its bottom straight uniformly throughout its length.
Mr. Stevens' invention consisted in adding the broad flange on the bottom, with a base sufficient to carry the load, and shaped so that it could be secured to the wood below it by spikes with hooked heads; thus dispensing with the cast-iron chair, and making the rail and its fastenings such as it now is in common use. In the year 1836 and frequently afterwards he spoke to me about his invention of this rail, and told me that in London, after unsuccessful applications elsewhere in England, shortly after the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railroad, he had applied to Mr. Guest, a member of Parliament, who had large rolling mills in Wales, to take a contract to make his rail for the Camden and Amboy Railroad, of which he was the chief engineer; that Mr. Guest wished to take the contract, but considered that it would be impracticable to roll the rail straight; that, finally, Mr. Guest agreed to go to Wales with him and make a trial; that great difficulty was at first experienced, as the rails coming from the rolls curled like snakes, and distorted in every imaginable way; that, by perseverance, the rail was finally successfully rolled; and that Mr. Guest took the contract. The Camden and Amboy Railroad, laid with this rail, was opened October 9th, 1832, two years after the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railroad. Of this I was a witness.
This rail, long known as the old Camden and Amboy rail, differed but little, either in shape or proportions, from the T-rail now in common use, but weighed only 36 pounds to the yard. For the next six or eight years after the opening of the Camden and Amboy Railroad this rail was but little used here or abroad, nearly all the roads built in the United States using the flat iron bar, about 2½ inches by ¾ inch, nailed to wooden rails, and the English continuing to use the chair and wedge.
My uncle always regretted that he had not patented his invention. He mentioned to me, upwards of forty years ago, that when advised by his friend, Mr. F. B. Ogden, the American consul at Liverpool, who was familiar with the circumstances of his invention, to patent it, he found that it was too late, and that his invention had become public property.
Yours, truly,
FRANCIS B. STEVENS."
DIVERSITIES IN PERMANENT WAY.
In addition to the plans of
construction heretofore referred to, various modifications were adopted
in different localities, the most important of which were rendered
possible by the T-or H-rail. The Boston and Lowell used, in its first
track, edge rails which were not parallel, but of the fish-bellied
pattern, i.e., their bottoms were slightly curved, as the body of a
fish is curved, so that the amount of iron used was greatest at the
points most distant from the rail joints. Where the H- or T-rail was
used numerous chairs ceased to be indispensable, as this rail, unlike
the edge rail, was self-supporting, and the use of chairs was generally
confined to places where the rails were united. A greater number of
sleepers or ties than had originally been considered desirable were put
down in the tracks of some roads. On the Boston and Providence sleepers
of white cedar were laid down 3 feet apart from centre to centre. They
were seven feet long and six inches thick, and rested on broader sills
of hemlock. On the Philadelphia and Reading, on which H-rails, weighing
45-one-eighth pounds per yard were used, the rails were laid upon white
oak sleepers, or cross-ties, seven feet in length, and of a uniform
depth or thickness of seven inches. They were laid 3½ feet apart
from centre to centre, and each sleeper was laid upon a prism of broken
stone, deposited in a trench 14 inches deep, 12 inches wide, and 9 feet
long across the line of the track. At the rail joints the rails rested
upon cast-iron chairs, let into the sleepers by means of notches cut
for that purpose. The chair was six inches square at its lower surface,
where it was five-eighths of an inch in thickness. There were bolts,
with nut screws attached, to hold the ends of the two rails to the
chair. The bolt and nut weighed 7 ounces, and the chair 10½
pounds. The chairs, and the rails, at the points where they rested on
sleepers, were spiked down, with spikes six inches in length, with
stems three-fourths by five-eighths of an inch. In a mile of track of
the Philadelphia and Reading, built in accordance with these
requirements, there were 563 bars of iron, weighing 71 tons; 563
chairs, weighing 5,910 pounds; 7,882 spikes, weighing 4,524 pounds;
1,126 screw bolts and nuts, weighing 481 pounds, and 1,689 sleepers.
The entire cost of the single track as laid, was reported to be $7,617
per mile. As the road was intended, from the outset, for exceptionally
heavy traffic, it was much more substantially built, in every respect,
than was usual at the time of its construction, and the rails proved to
be very serviceable.
On portions of the Western (of Massachusetts), which were being constructed about 1840, a mode was adopted which differs in some important respects from any of those heretofore described. The rails were of the U or bridge pattern. A contemporaneous description says: "The rails are of wrought iron, rolled in lengths of fifteen feet, and made hollow. The top is two inches wide, base six inches, and height one inch and three-quarters. Holes are punctured in the flanges on both sides, about eighteen inches apart, to secure the rail (without chairs) to the sleepers, by means of screws eight inches long. To prevent the sleepers from spreading, there are, at every fifteen feet, iron ties across the railway, spiked down at each end of the sleepers."
In this description the term sleepers was used to designate "longitudinal, continuous sleepers of Memal timber kyanized, thirteen or fourteen inches wide, by six and a half or seven inches thick, which are firmly bedded on the ground, previously made even and well rammed. On the top of the sleepers are laid the rails." Another feature was an effort to give the outer edge of the rail a slightly higher altitude than the inner edge, for the purpose of making the surface of the rail correspond as closely as possible with the conical shape of the car wheels. Other railways endeavored to accomplish that object at comparatively early periods, but the results were usually not satisfactory.
On portions of the Western (of Massachusetts), which were being constructed about 1840, a mode was adopted which differs in some important respects from any of those heretofore described. The rails were of the U or bridge pattern. A contemporaneous description says: "The rails are of wrought iron, rolled in lengths of fifteen feet, and made hollow. The top is two inches wide, base six inches, and height one inch and three-quarters. Holes are punctured in the flanges on both sides, about eighteen inches apart, to secure the rail (without chairs) to the sleepers, by means of screws eight inches long. To prevent the sleepers from spreading, there are, at every fifteen feet, iron ties across the railway, spiked down at each end of the sleepers."
In this description the term sleepers was used to designate "longitudinal, continuous sleepers of Memal timber kyanized, thirteen or fourteen inches wide, by six and a half or seven inches thick, which are firmly bedded on the ground, previously made even and well rammed. On the top of the sleepers are laid the rails." Another feature was an effort to give the outer edge of the rail a slightly higher altitude than the inner edge, for the purpose of making the surface of the rail correspond as closely as possible with the conical shape of the car wheels. Other railways endeavored to accomplish that object at comparatively early periods, but the results were usually not satisfactory.