693
C
Mr Janes More, June, Edinburgh, Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers, says:-
"Regarding your query as to a continuous layer of concrete 18" wide by 6" thick under each rail in a tramway, I think it would be a waste of money to put a concrete bed across the entire track and margins. It is absolutely unnecessary as, in my opinion, the effective carrying surface of concrete under a rail is never at any time more than 18" at the bottom.
Mr Arthur Brown, City Surveyor of Nottingham, Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers, says:-
"I think the method of construction proposed by you of laying under each rail a continuous beam of concrete 6" thick and 18" wide would be quite satisfactory. The continuous width of concrete is, in my opinion, a waste of money where the roads are not paved, as the 18" proposed by you is quite sufficient for carrying the rail.
Mr John Fell, Leamington, who has had large experience as a tramway contractor, writes:-
"I am of opinion that this form of construction (i.e. a continuous beam of concrete 6" thick by 18" wide) is all that is required to make a satisfactory permanent way.
Mr J M McMirror, General Manager of the Manchester Corporation Tramways, says:-
"The whole of the permanent way which we have laid in this City, at present extending to about 100 miles of single track, is laid in the manner you name, i.e., each rail is laid on a bed of concrete 6" thick and 18" wide and we find this form of construction quite satisfactory."
Mr Elston, Secretary of the Calcutta Tramways, says:-
"The system of permanent way construction which we have adopted in Calcutta consists of a longitudinal girder of concrete laid underneath each rail, the dimensions of the girder are 18" wide by 6" deep, and the space between the rails is filled up with ordinary road material and finished off on the surface either with paving setts or macadam, as the nature of the general traffic requires. We have found this system most satisfactory in every way.
The Director of Public Works in Hong Kong has had the originals from which the above extracts are given.
We have constructed tramways upon this system in Cape Town, Barcelona, Madrid, Kidderminster, and Brisbane, and we know that it is generally used where the streets are not paved. In some instances where the streets are paved the concrete is laid between the rails and on each side thereof.