Hello everyone !

In mr. Goolsby's book 'Atlantic Coast Line passenger service - The postwar years' in one of the numerous photos, wich I think is from the late 60's, it is possible to see, although in a very limited way, that one of the tracks was equipped with concrete ties. I know that FEC pioneered this kind of tie, but the line in case is from ACL. The questions I have are ;

1) what type of tie is it (french Rs,bi-bloc, or the monobloc type as it is used nowadays in the US).

2) Was there any kind of elastic fastening linking ties and rails, or just regular clips.

Mario V

-- Mario Vieira (vallardo@hotmail.com), December 29, 2001

Answers

There were experiments with concrete crossties in numerous locations on numerous railroads throughout the 1950's and early 1960's, the SAL being one of the roads conducting the experiments. Unless I am mistaken, the FEC was the first railroad to install concrete crossties as a matter of policy - that is, all wooden crossties would eventually be replaced with those of concrete - and not on an experimental basis.

Bob Hanson

-- Robert H. Hanson (RHanson669@aol.com), December 30, 2001.

In your question was another interesting question.You say that FEC pioneered concret ties.I know that the Seaboard Air Line tested some in the early 60's.BTW This discussion only pertains to Southeastern railroad.

-- Joseph Oates (jlosal@mindspring.com), December 29, 2001.