Accrington on Rails - The Tramways: A Complete History - Robert Kenyon

bricks about a yard on each side of the joints. Then these bricks are taken out before the rails are set in, and they then settle upon the whole body of the cement.” Chairman - “How can you get” - ( he was then interrupted ). Mr Taylor - “We should put the rail in and put on an extra thickness as we came up to the correct level over the rail flange as would be required. The question is you cannot lay these rails to give them proper bedding. With the rails that are already in now the joints are down, although they have been hammered down as hard as you can have them. I have laid 60 miles of tramway altogether from Baxenden to Accrington which was put in on bricks, and the other lines to Rawtenstall by this same method. I simply did not have the contract for the labour used.” Mr Newton - “It wasn’t put in by the Corporation!” Mr Jeffs - “The Borough Surveyor of Rawtenstall would say the same as you.” Mr Taylor - “The difficulty is getting the rails, and I think Mr Holden is laying and housing them as well as he can.” Mr Jeffs - “This work cannot be progressed quickly enough. Chairman - “If the concrete setts are too hard you cannot carry on with the scheme at all!” Mr Taylor - “The difficulty I find from practice is getting the rails filled in all the way along the concrete. You have to bend them to a certain radius. With these rails you have to turn to a flange set to them. That was the difficulty I was facing in laying the rails in a proper position, and I have no objection if Mr Newton would allow me to put in the concrete first onto the bricks, then to take out every rail afterwards.” Mr Newton - “Personally I object. I prefer the rails to be laid onto the concrete, and all I can say is I know where they have tried this, and that on the South Staffordshire Tramways, they found this way of laying rails the best and most expeditious.” Mr Kenyon - “Just supposing you allowed Mr Taylor to put in three double lengths?” Mr Hindle - “There is something in what Mr Taylor says with reference to the housings. I see some difficulty in getting the branch rails to the correct shape. I would be prepared to allow bricks to be laid there, but where there is a straight length I think you could do better.” Mr Taylor - “I am quite sure it is the best and most substantial. You have had rails put on concrete tried on so many numerous lines. It is the opinion of most tramway engineers the difficulty comes when the rails are 30 feet long.” Mr Hindle - “These rails are 30 feet long! How many lengths 30 feet long?” Mr Taylor - “Three on one mile and one at each end.” A general discussion then ensued amongst the members in their groups on the made of doing this work, before coming back together again. Mr Hindle - “Is it your opinion that there is a greater extra cost in taking the Borough Surveyor’s course of action, rather than yours?” Mr Taylor - “Very little. I expect to get very little credit for putting the rails in a proper position, which I am confident we cannot do the way we are doing it now. You can see that you get your distance under the rail and it is a good guide.” Mr Hindle - “You have already got into a mess, and suppose we had to concede to what you suggest, then there would be an addition cost wouldn’t there?” Mr Taylor - “That is between you and the Tramway Company. There would be no extra charge as far as I am concerned, providing of course I have only the thickness of concrete to lie in.” Mr Evans - “Will you put in the extra inch?” Mr Taylor - “I do not object at all to doing that and putting solid concrete in. I am only responsible for the labour and do not supply the cement. It would cost 25 shillings per cubic yard for a new floating. You could not have a supply of cement any cheaper than that, it is a very low figure.” Mr Jeffs - “How many inches are you putting in now?” Mr Taylor - “I am laying in 8½ inches . It is my idea that you make a more substantial job when putting in a solid mass. The difficulty I face is putting in 1 or 2 rails at a time.”

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