NO. 746.-" Account of the method employed in constr~cting the permanent way of the Philadelphia and Reading Railway, U. S. ; with a description of a wrought-iron joint chair and fastenings for the rails, as employed on the Baltimore and Susquehanna and otlrer Railways in the United States." By William Edward Eewton. T h e attention of the Author was first directed to this mode of constructing the permanent way of Railways, by a notice of its application, in a foreign journal, and conceiving, that independent of any merits it might possess, there were some novel and ingenious points in it, he commenced a correspondence with Mr. Herron (the inventor) on the subject, and by that gentleman, who is a Civil Engineer of considerable practical experience in the United States, the necessary information was readily communicated to enable this account to be drawn up. Mr. Irlerron appears to consider, that two main objections apply to the usual methods of constructing the permanent way :-First, that the bearing surface of the sleepers, or supports of the rails, is not sufficiently extensive ; and secondly, that when the rails are supported a t certain points only, instead of being laid on continuous sleepers, they will, when a heavy weight, such as a locomotive engine is in the act of rolling over them, spring up, or deflect, between the points of support, and if the latter are firmly and evenly seated on the road-bed, they will form rigid points, against which the wheels will impinge and spring from, when in rapid motion. The whole line then is thus converted into a series of short elastic planes, or inclines, divided only by the rigid points of' support, and this will give to the engines and carriages, an unpleasant undulating, or bounding nlotion ; and as the deflection of the rails is more considerable near the joints, a lurch is added to the bound, and the result is an awkward vibrating motion, which very soon deranges, or destroys the engines, the carriages, and the railway, and causes a considerable expenditure for repairs, absorbing a large proportion of the income of the railway. I n order to obviate this objection, continuous sleepers have been resorted to, and, from their superiority over the rigid stone blocks, are now frequently adopted. In the case of the Great Western Railway, a beam of timber 30 feet long, 14 iuches wide, and 9 inches thick was used. This beam was strengthened by a strip of hard wood, and an iron bridge-rail, veighing44lbs. per yard, was bolted upon it ; this rested upon piles, a t intervals of 15 PHILADELPHIA AND READING RAILWAP, U. S .