What would the size and spacing of standard gauge railroad ties be in the early 1900s (maybe 1900-1920) ? The piece of rail from where I want to know is about 4 1/4 inches wide at the base and 4 1/4 tall. I don’t know what the weight of it is. I doubt anyone would know exactly for it, but I want to know for the Cumberland Valley Railroad in PA.
Any help is appreciated.
90% of the railroad track in the U.S. was laid with 21" tie spacing, and persists as such (if still wood tie) to this day. Concrete ties are typically at 24" spacing.
Most of the main line and Class I railroads used ties circa 1900 that were 8’ long, 6" x 8" dimensions. High-tonnage railroads had started to go to 8’6" ties. Hand-hewn ties were not uncommon even at that date on logging railroads and rural short lines in woods country like east Texas, Alabama, West Virginia. etc.
Until the 1930s most ties were untreated.
RWM
Tie plates weren’t used on rail less than 90-100 lbs too.
By the 1920’s 8’6" ties were standard. The sizes ranged from 6x7 to 7x9. The tie spacing might vary by an inch or two in main tracks and go up to 24" on sidings and spurs. Standards varied from railroad to railroad. Hand hewn ties were used into the 1920’s.
Dave H.
4-1/2" base rail 4-1/2" high would be 70 lb. rail (I suspect your sample is a bit eroded by use and corrosion) – light even by 1900 standards. For that weight and the implied low axle loads, infrequent service (maybe 2-4 small trains per day), and low gross tons it would be useful to support, 8’x6"x8" ties or 8’x6"x7" ties would be a good match, and untreated softwood too. They would typically be 21" on the main track but stretched out to 24" on sidings and yard tracks as dhusman states.
RWM
In my mind it would be a function of how long the track had been down. There is no question that ties and rail grew as engines became heavier but the UP cut corners every where it could in building the transcontinental railroad. They were trying to cover as many miles as possible to get the land grants that went with accpeted mileage. Then they planned to come back and correct the cheap construction. So if your track was laid in the 1860s or 70s it is going to be ligher rail and smaller ties then new construction around 1900.
Depends on the railroad. A new Class I building in 1900 such as WP or SP&S typically used 85 lb. rail for the main track and second-hand 70 lb. for side tracks. The Nevada Northern built 125 miles all-new in 1906 with 60 lb. rail and 8’ 6x7 redwood ties – and the same rail is still out there today, and some of the ties, too. The typical Class I building a branch line or side track in 1900 would use cascaded 70 lb. or 60 lb. rail.
RWM
I think that I read on the San Diego Society of N Scale (SDSONS) was using 9’ ties.
I was wondering if this was about the right size for the west, mid west?
9ft ties didn’t become the norm until later on, and would normally be used with heavier rail. Much better to check what your prototype did, than model somebody else’s model. They may have a different prototype or other reasons for not being accurate to your prototype and era.
As other posters have said, in 1920, new heavy main line construction would typically be 120lb rail on 8’6" ties. Anything else would be lighter.
hope this helps
Fred W