Steam & Excursion > Chama du Jour #48

Continued...
SR

1911?!  Dang.

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That 85 lb. rail was probably purchased for a standard gauge main line.
The original very light rail on the narrow gauge was upgraded with "relay" (as to re-lay used rail) when larger narrow gauge engines came on line and the main lines were going to 100+ lb rail.
85 is usually a good "section" (as in Cross-Section) as it had a good history of resisting some cracking.

railstiesballast Wrote:
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> That 85 lb. rail was probably purchased for a
> standard gauge main line.
> The original very light rail on the narrow gauge
> was upgraded with "relay" (as to re-lay used rail)
> when larger narrow gauge engines came on line and
> the main lines were going to 100+ lb rail.
> 85 is usually a good "section" (as in
> Cross-Section) as it had a good history of
> resisting some cracking.

The original 1881 - vintage 40 lb rail was replaced in the early 1920's with 70 lb rail. It too is relay, dating from around 1890. In 1938, from a mile east of Chama to a miles east of Osier, the 70 lb was replaced with 85 lb relay that you see the pic.