Creosoted Railway Sleepers.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 119, 24 April 1885, Page 3

Creosoted Railway Sleepers.

'As the Government are now calling for tenders for creosoted railway sleepers, it may be of interest to some of our readers (says the Otago Daily Times) to know what has been done m this direction m other parts of the world. On looking into the -published works of authorities 6n the srbjaet we are surprisedto find that m India, where hard and close-grained woods are available, creosoting bas been largely employed, no doubt m consequence of the ravages of insects. Creosoting wood m India' is a very costly process, owing to the difficulty and expense of conveying creosote from England.. Iron tanks specially constructed, are necessasy to hold the oil for shipment, and as these art unsaleable m ludia they add to the expense. The. same oonditions. would apply m this or any of the Australian Colonies, and certainly ships carrying general ; cargo Would not carry creosote except m small quantities. To charter and load a vessel entirely wjih creosote would thus involve the investment of a large amount of capital. Hitherto sleepers (7ft x Bin x sin) m New Zealand have cost from about 3s 6d to 53 6d each, whereas m England, the London and .Birmingham Railway Company has paid as much as 8s 3d each for creosoted sleepers 9ft x lOin x sin, and this with creosote on the spot at under 3d per gallon. -In the ' face of this fact, the; cost of creosoted sleepers here must be very high ; but with all the outlay, risks, and contingencies which cannot well be foreseen m a new industry, an, increase o( between double ami treble the Resent cost may well be borne if by the process the life of a sleeper is lengthened four orfive times. On mauy railways half-round sleepers have been nsed, and the reports generally appear to be m favor of .that. form,, one report from the Pernambuco railway stating that on half-rounds the depreciation m eight years was only 1 per cent, whilst square sawn was 50 per cent. — certainly an enormous difference* ..,;..