...Railway artillery - Personal Page of GENE SLOVER

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ing: (1) The total length of the turnout, L, and (2) the position of
the tangent of the turnout, TT, which is defined by the position of
the point B, with intersection of the axes, with reference to one end
of the switch, and by the angle' between the two axes, figure 5, plate
478. Figure 6, plate 458, illustrates the standard 5-degree 30-minute,
DlodeI1909, 45-kilogram rail switches in use on the Est Railway.
527. BALLASTING AND AD.rosTING.-Before ballasting, grade stakes
are set regularly at intervals of 25 meters as well as along or inside
the traCk at changes in grade. The top of a stake gives the elevation
of the rail (inside rail on curves). The quantities of ballast per
meter of track are: (1) Through tracks, 0.60 cubic meters to 0.75
cubic meters, according to the nature"of the terrain; (2) firing tracks,
1.200 cubic meters.
528. The straightening, adjusting and tamping is handled successively,
and with repeated corrections .until the desired regularity both
in plan and profile is obtained. The raising of the track includes:
(1) The raising and bringing to grade of points at the grade stakes,
and (2) the raising and bringing to grade of all points between the
grade stakes. In this second raising three little blocks of equal
heights may be placed at the points first raised and the point being
raised for convenience in sighting. The track having been raised
by means of screw jacks or levers, the ballast is gradually filled in and
tamped under the ties with tamping picks or bars. The tamping
should be energetic under the rails and to a distance of from 30 to 35
centimeters on either side; under the middle of the tie it should be
very gentle. The straightening is handled ordinarily by a gang of
about a dozen men using large bars. The track is lined up with the
line stakes by measurement and for final and fine adjustment by
sighting with the eye.
529. EoLMER SWITCB.-The installation of the standard type of _
switch generally requires two days with a gang of 20 trained men and
necessitates the complete cutting of the main line for a distance of
about 30 meters for several hours. The Eolmer is a removable
switch which can be placed in a few hours at any point whatsoever of
a track in service and without taking up the rails. To clear the main
line for traffic, it is necessary to take up only three pieces of the switch,
which can be done in about 10 minutes.
530. The whole of the Eolmer switch is represented in figure 1,
plate 459. It is shown here turned to the left. The switch points,
band D, fit to the main line rails on the top instead of along the side.
The tops of the switch points are shaped to a gentle grade and raise
the wheels gradually until the flanges are above the rails of the main
track. At this point the wheels may follow the switch and they
definitely leave the main line when the one wheel crosses the frog at
0, figure 3, plate 459. Figure 2 shows how the -points are attached
Digitized by Coogle