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NtccI llnilwny Mlccpcrw.
Sir, — I was much interested by your lender in
Friday's issuo, also by Mr. Phillips's letter in tho
Bamo -paper, on tho advantages to bo expected
from tno uho of his patent sleeper.
14 ot iiavingnau tuo auvnuingo ot Qxaraimngincso
Bloopers, tlieir form and appearance can only bo
imagined by tho description given by you; but,
seriously, docs Mr. Phillips inniglno that an in
verted trough with a "very simplo aud effectual
fastening" is a new thing that he has patented
it, and is supplying a quautity on trial. Verily
it is a plcasaut thing to havo friends at court.
Why, sir, an ndvortiaoinout iu an English paper
would hriug forward a dozen variations of steel
slcopcrs, most of which aro of tho trough juittoni
(though not the best), and all with "(ample and
effectual fastenings" for tho rail, which, by tho
way, 'always works loose and rattles. There is
only ouo really good fasteuing, and that is not
suitable for tlio Queensland rail, though it might
possibly bo adapted.
Again, as regards the raothod of packing tho
Bloopers from the end, I presume Mr. Phillips will
staud over each sleeper as it is packed, otherwise
it will never bo proporly done.
Mr.Phillips'sargiitncntsinsup)tort of histhoory,
that the.tinbrokonsurfaco of tho ground is a suffi
ciently pood foundation, may appear extremely
convincing to you, sir, but if he poiuf j-out that,
in early railroad construction, tho, /dines of a
macadam road were followed,- Jjo" is entirely
wrong. IIo should surely bo nwttro that tho first
railroads were constructed without ballast at nil ;
tho rails were laid on longifudiunl balks, wliich
rested, on short piles, or what would hero ho
termed stumps ; othor lines were laid oil blocks of
stouo. lot iuto tlio ground; holes drilled iu tho
stouo woro plugged with oak, into which pings
tlio spikes or dogs were driven. It was only after
long aud tried oxpcricuco thut stono ballast and
trausvoreo sloopers were universally adopted — by
eugiucore, not surveyoiNft tlio best method of
carrying tho rails.
If I- mistako not, somo yoars ruico the Railway
Department luiil down some iron iroiigh-sluijieU
aleopers; what lias bccorao of theso? havo thoy
failed?. aud, if so, iu what particular, and in
what mnirnor nro Mr. Phillips's sleepers better tlmn
tliosq?..
Do not imagine!, sir, for ono moment, that I
would eoildcmn iron or stool sleepers ; far from
it. I havo a firm boliof in them, but I, as a
citizen and a Quecnslandor, objoct to costly cx-
jioriinonta being tried when an article thut answers
tlio purposo iu ovory way could bo bought or
imnorteil'nt, I tliiuk I may safely say, oue'-fourth
of tho cost.
As". for tho idea of laying roads without ballast,
that . remains to ho tried; with ninny others I
think itwilllin fnmul — f nm uir
CIVIL ENGINEER.
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