RAILROAD TRACKS - ARTICLE IN GERMAN,...

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Vintage-Views Antique Prints and Maps :: Antique Prints :: Transportation :: Railways :: RAILROAD TRACKS - ARTICLE IN GERMAN, OBERBAU DER EISENBAHN,1894 Original Antique Wood Engraving

RAILROAD TRACKS - ARTICLE IN GERMAN, OBERBAU DER EISENBAHN,1894 Original Antique Wood Engraving

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Rail tracks are used on railways (or railroads), which, together with railroad switches (or points), guide trains without the need for steering. Tracks consist of two parallel steel rails, which are laid upon sleepers (or cross ties) that are embedded in ballast to form the railroad track.Unlike some other uses of iron and steel, railway rails are subject to very high stresses and have to be made of very high quality steel. It took many decades to improve the quality of the materials, including the change from iron to steel. Minor flaws in the steel that pose no problems with, say, reinforcing rods for buildings, can lead to broken rails and dangerous derailments when used on railway tracks. By and large, the heavier the rails and the rest of the track, the heavier and faster the trains on those tracks can be. The rails represent a substantial fraction of the cost of a railway line. Only a small number of rail sizes are made by the steelworks at the one time, so a railway must choose the nearest suitable size. Worn, heavy rail from a mainline is often cascaded down to branchline, siding, or yard use. Some early rails were made by William Jessop in the 1790s. Early rails were used on horse drawn wagonways. In the early days the rails were flanged (i.e 'L' shaped) with the wagon wheels being flat. Over time it was realised that flanged wheels with flat rails worked better. Early rails were sometimes strap-iron rails, which consisted of thin strips of iron strapped onto wooden rails . These rails were too fragile to carry heavy loads, but because the initial construction cost was less, this method was sometimes used to quickly build an inexpensive rail line. Strap rails sometimes separated from the wooden base and speared into the floor of the carriages above! However, the long-term expense involved in frequent maintenance outweighed any savings. Early metal rails were made mostly from cast iron which was a brittle material which could break easily. The first steel rails were made in 1857 by Robert Forester Mushet, who laid them at Derby station in England. Steel was a much stronger material, which steadily replaced iron for use on railway rail.

Published for Joseph Meyer Meyers Konversations

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SKU	0527717k6
Quantity in stock	1 item(s) available
Price:	US$15.00

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