RE: (erielack) Guard timber, rail, and rerailers

["Schuyler Larrabee" <schuyler.larrabee_@_verizon.net>]

> Now that I know what Frank is talking about, thanks to 
> Schuyler, in regards  
> to the wooden outside timbers
> I just wanted to point something out.  If you look real close, I can  
> remember the ends always being dovetailed together as two 
> inverted Ls  .  If you look 
> real close at Ron's photo with the guys walking on the  
> bridge you can see 
> that.  I don't know if that was mandated by some rule,  or 
> RRs just did it on 
> there own?
>  
> Bob Bahrs

Bob, that's because part of the purpose of the guard timbers, besides the bloody obvious one of
guiding things along the track direction if it derails, is to  provide additional strength in
holding the ties longitudinally along the track in proper spacing, both from the creeping action a
train causes (Think about when you smooth out a blanket, you push the material ahead of your hand -
the weight of the train does exactly the same thing to the rails), and from the sliding action a
derailed car or locomotive could cause.  Without the lap joint (not really a dovetail) the guard
timbers would pull apart at that joint.

SGL


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