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LOCATION OF SIGNS-Continued

Signs for the Information of Passengers and Employees Other Than Trainmen, Though Incidentally Used by Them

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General Remarks: "In accordance with information shown on plans already adopted."

Valuation Section.

10'-0"

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General Remarks: "In accordance with information shown on plans already adopted." Signs for the Information of or Warning to the Public

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Curve and Elevation.

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17'-0' 300 ft.

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Even with the widest roadbed now in use, based on this information, it would be necessary, in order to get good clearance from the track, to build out the shoulder to properly support signs located on embankments.

Clearance required for snow plow wings, roadbed spreaders and weed destroyers which are used on practically all railroads has been investigated and we believe that sufficient clearance has been provided for this equipment.

Your Committee, therefore, has recommended the distances given on the table submitted with this report, appreciating the fact that widening of the roadbed on fills will be necessary, and further, that this is the practice in vogue on railroads at the present time where signs are located at a sufficient distance from the track to require it.

Appendix B

SUBSTITUTES FOR WOOD CROSSING PLANKS

F. D. BATCHELLOR, Chairman; G. N. EDMONDSON, Vice-Chairman; ANTON ANDERSON, C. H. N. CONNELL, Arthur DanieLS,

R. A. HARRY, Sub-Committee.

In 1913 this Committee submitted a report on "Track Construction and Flangeways at Paved Street Crossings and in Paved Streets." That report applied more particularly to crossings constructed of the same material as the adjoining street. The present report is more general and includes all kinds of crossings. It is a preliminary report, but is presented as information at this time, because of general interest in the subject.

In recent years the high price of wood crossing plank has resulted in the introduction of a number of substitutes, of which seventeen, if paving blocks are included, have come to the attention of this Committee. These may be grouped in five classes in accordance with the material of their construction. So classified, these substitutes are listed below. The figures under the group headings indicate the number of crossings of that group included in this report.

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The information presented on the following pages covers 95 individual crossings, many of which were visited by members of this Committee. Data in regard to others was obtained from railroad users and from the manufacturers. For the most part, these crossings have been in use but a short time, and definite conclusions as to maintenance cost and serviceability cannot be reached. A number of roads, however, in addition to those reported on, are giving consideration to the adoption of one or the other of the substitutes. Plans or photographs of each type are included in the report.

Briefly summarized, the status of each group is as follows: CONCRETE

(a) Solid Concrete

We do not find many crossings of this type, and, where used, they have been on tracks where there is little railroad traffic.

(b) Precast Slab

This type of crossing has been used on a number of railroads, though of varying design. Most of the installations have been made subsequent to 1919 so that they have hardly been in service long enough to obtain information as to their durability and cost of maintenance. One thing that has been demonstrated is that when concrete slabs are placed, crossings should have good drainage to prevent heaving in winter time.

(c) Concrete Plank

The C. B. & Q. R. R. has tried out a number of these crossings. The main trouble seems to be that the upper corners of the concrete plank disintegrate under service, indicating that such plank should have some sort of corner protection.

BITUMINOUS MATERIALS

There are more crossings of this type in service than any of the others. The first cost of installation is lower and they are easily installed. STEEL OR IRON-PLATE TYPE

This type of crossing is not extensively used and seems to be in an experimental stage. One of these was installed in 1918, on the C. C. C. & St. L. Ry., at 71st Street, Carthage, Ohio. After seventeen or eighteen months it was taken up on account of the plates not being heavy enough to carry the trucks which passed over them. These crossings are now being made of heavier material. One will be installed on the B. & O. R. R. at Cincinnati, Ohio. There seems to be a tendency for horsedrawn vehicles to avoid this type of crossing when possible.

RAILROAD RAILS-STEEL OR IRON

These crossings consist of rails laid between the running rails, and spaces filled in with concrete or other material. They have not been used in high speed tracks.

PAVING BLOCKS

This type of crossing is used mostly in cities and particularly where the adjacent street is paved with blocks or where ordinances require their

use.

BALLAST MATERIAL

Crossings of this type seem to be used mostly at farm crossings, and on highways with light traffic.

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