Rail km41-flings. —In rail fastenings little progress has been made. Many rail joints have been contrived, but nothing has so,ierseded the angle bar, or seems likely to, although this is admittedly defective. The plain fish plate has disappeared from good practice in the United Slates. Even the best length of the angle bar is still in dispute, as is the question of sup ported cud suspended joints. If after many years of trial, it cannot be decided whether or not the contiguous rail ends should be supported on a tie or suspended between two ties : or what. between 24 in. and 48 in., is the best length of angle bar ; it is very probable that there is not Much difference in the results.
Within three or four years there has been en important advance in the use of metal plates on the ties, under the rails. Early in American practice, east-iron ehails and plates were more or less used, even with the flange rail. It was found that the surface of the head of the rail was worn directly over the chair, from the fact that the greater mass of metal just at that point made the blow of the wheel more efficient. This experience has retarded the use of tie-plates, desirable as they are to save ties and to prevent rails turning or spreading. Recently, however, plates of steel have been introduced. These give all the advantages of increased bearing on the tie, and utilize the whole holding power of the inside spike against the outward thrust, and are still light enough and elastic enough to avoid the anvil effect of the inure massive cast-iron chair. Practically the only elmnges in track spikes have been in the methods of manufacture and in the material. Recent machines turn out spikes with points that make a clean cut when driven. greatly reducing- the destruction and the displace ment of the fibers of the tie. The result is increased holding power and longer life of the
tie. Many spikes are now made of steel. In England and on the continent of Europe the general practice is to use screws instead of spikes to hold the rails to the ties, and to use iron chairs with bull-head and double-head rails. With flange rails tie-dates are sometimes used, hut oftener the rail rests directly on the tie.
77e.s.—In the United. States, the woolen cross-tie not only remains standard, but the trials of metal tics have been quite insignificant in extent. Considerations of economy and of adaptability to the purpose indicate that there will not lie any large use of metal tics in this country until the means of preserving wooden ties and the benefits of tie-plates have been exhausted. The wooden tie, so long as it does not cost too much, has great advantages of elasticity and of convenience in track work. In Europe, India, South America and various colonies. the use of metal ties has been mach more extensive, and a great variety of designs have been brought out and tried. The best results have been got with a cross-tie of steel, in the form of a channel, laid with the hollow down, and with the ends bent down to engage in the ballast. of this type, the tie designed by Mr. Post, engineer of the Netherlands State Railroads, is the best known, The designs are so many, and the results so varied and inconclusive, that it would take too much space to properly discuss the subject here. The most complete ri,sunig is contained in Bulletin No. 4, U. S. Department of Agriculture, 1890.
Railway Head : see Cotton-spinning Machines.
Raker, Hay : see Hay Carriers and Rakers.
Rant, Hydraulic: see Engines. Hydraulic.
Reamer : see Lathe Tools.
Reaper : see Mowers and Reapers.