Handbook of Railroad Construction; For the use of American engineers. / Containing the necessary rules, tables, and formulæ for the location, construction, equipment, and management of railroads, as built in the United States.

by George L. Vose

CLASSIFICATION OF FREIGHT.

418. Freight is classified according to its nature, the commercial nature of the country traversed by the road, and the direction of the principal market. The distribution adopted upon some of the large roads is as follows:—

CLASSIFICATION OF ARTICLES.

[Articles marked thus * at owner’s risk.]

Double First Class.

• Baskets, * Band Boxes;
• * Camphene;
• * Carboys, and contents;
• * Demijohns, and contents;
• * Eggs;
• Feathers, in bags;
• Furs;
• Hobby Horses;
• Musical Instruments;
• * Plaster of Paris, (ornaments);
• Pictures, in frames;
• Teazles, in casks;
• Wagons, (children’s);
• Willow Ware.

First Class.

• * Ale, in glass;
• * Apples, green, pre-paid;
• Bacon, loose;
• Batting;
• Bells;
• * Berries, pre-paid;
• * Blinds, (window) in packages;
• Bonnets;
• * Books, in boxes;
• Boots;
• Bran, in bags;
• Brass, in sheets and pigs;
• Brass Castings;
• Brass Vessels;
• Bread and Biscuit;
• Brooms, in bales or bundles;
• Broom Handles, in boxes or bundles;
• Brushes;
• Buffalo Robes, packed;
• Buttons;
• * Candies and Confectionary, canvassed;
• Cane;
• Cards;
• Carpeting;
• Caps;
• China Ware;
• Chocolate;
• * Cigars, in boxes;
• Cinnamon;
• * Clocks, in boxes;
• Cocoa;
• Cassia;
• Coffee, ground;
• Collars;
• Combs;
• Copper, in sheets and pigs;
• Copper Vessels;
• Corks;
• * Cotton, in bales;
• * Cotton Waste;
• Covers and Sieves;
• * Cranberries;
• * Cutlery;
• Deer Skins, in bundles;
• Doors;
• Dry Goods;
• Fancy Goods;
• * Figs, in boxes;
• Fire-arms;
• * Fish, fresh, pre-paid;
• Flour, in bags;
• Forks, hay and manure;
• * Fruits, fresh, pre-paid;
• * Game, pre-paid;
• Garden Seeds;
• Ginger;
• * Glass, in boxes;
• * Glass Ware, in boxes or casks;
• Glue;
• * Grapes, pre-paid;
• Gun Stocks, in boxes or bundles;
• Hair, in sacks;
• Hams, loose;
• Harness;
• Hides, dry;
• Hoe Handles;
• * Hollow Ware;
• * Honey;
• Hops, pressed;
• * Ice, pre-paid;
• Indigo;
• Ink;
• Iron Castings, light;
• Ivory;
• Japan Ware;
• Joiners Work;
• * Lemons, in boxes, canvassed;
• * Looking-glasses, well boxed;
• * Machinery, boxed, light;
• Marble, wrought, at owner’s risk of breakage;
• Mats;
• Mattrasses, double, at 150 pounds each;
• Mattrasses, single, at 100 pounds each;
• Mill Stuffs, in bags or casks;
• Measures;
• * Meat, fresh, pre-paid;
• Meat, in bulk, salted;
• Medicines;
• * Melons, pre-paid;
• Moss, in sacks;
• Nuts, in sacks or casks;
• * Oranges, in boxes, canvassed, pre-paid;
• * Oysters, in cans or kegs;
• Palm Leaf, in bales;
• Paper, brown wrapping and straw, (light);
• Paper Hangings;
• Pelts;
• * Porter, in glass;
• * Poultry, dressed, pre-paid;
• * Prunes;
• Rags, (see second class);
• * Raisins;
• Rake Handles;
• Rattan;
• Rugs;
• Saddle Trees;
• Saddlery;
• * Sash, in packages;
• Scale Beams;
• Scythe Snaths;
• Shoes;
• Shovel Handles;
• Soap, fancy;
• Soda;
• Spices;
• * Spirits Turpentine;
• Stationery;
• Straw Goods;
• Teas, (see third class);
• Tin Ware, in crates or hhds.;
• Toys;
• Trunks, empty, 80 pounds each;
• Tubs;
• Turners’ Work;
• * Vegetables, pre-paid;
• Veneering;
• Wadding;
• Warp, on beams;
• Warp Beams;
• Waste, woollen;
• Wax;
• Whalebone;
• Wheelbarrows;
• Whips;
• Wicking;
• * Wines, in baskets or boxes;
• * Wooden Ware;
• Wool;
• Woollens.

Second Class.

• Alcoholic Liquors;
• * Ale, in casks;
• Apples, dried;
• Alum;
• Anchors;
• Anvils;
• Ashes, pot or pearl;
• Axes, in boxes;
• Axles, iron;
• Bacon, packed;
• Bagging;
• Barilla;
• Bark, tanner’s, 1¼ cord per ton;
• Beans;
• * Beef, in casks or boxes;
• Beer, in casks;
• Bleaching Salts;
• Bones;
• * Bottles, packed, (empty);
• Brimstone;
• Burr Blocks;
• Burlaps, in original packages;
• * Butter, in firkins;
• * Candles, in boxes;
• Cannon;
• Canvas;
• Castings, heavy;
• Cement;
• Chains;
• Chalk;
• Chair and turned Stuff in bales or bdls.;
• Cider, in casks;
• Cheese, in boxes or casks;
• Clay, Coal, and Coke, in casks or boxes;
• Clover Seed;
• Coffee, in sacks;
• Copperas;
• Cordage;
• Crockery Ware, well packed;
• Domestics, in original packages;
• Dye Stuffs, in woods;
• Earthen Ware, well packed;
• * Fire Brick;
• Fish, dried or salted;
• Flax Seed;
• Flocks;
• Floor Cloth, painted;
• Flour, in barrels, 20 barrels or less;
• Furnaces;
• Grain, of all kinds;
• * Grindstones;
• Groceries, generally heavy, not otherwise specified;
• Gunnies, in bales;
• Hoes;
• Hams, shoulders or sides, in casks or boxes;
• Hardware, except Cutlery;
• * Hemp, in bales;
• Hemp Seed;
• * Hides, green;
• * High Wines;
• Hoops, shaved or split, 3,000 pounds per cord;
• India Rubber;
• Iron, pig, bloom, boiler, rod, and bar;
• Iron, hoop, sheet, or bolts;
• Iron, nuts, rivets, and spikes;
• Junk;
• Lard, in barrels or casks;
• Lead, sheet, pig, or pipe;
• Leather;
• Liquors, in barrels or casks;
• Lime, in barrels or casks;
• Marble, unwrought, at owner’s risk of breakage;
• Meal, in bags or casks;
• Molasses;
• Moss, pressed;
• Nails, in kegs;
• Oakum, in bales;
• Oil, owner’s risk of leakage;
• Oil Cake,
• Oil Cloth;
• * Oysters, in shell;
• Paints, dry or in oil;
• Paper, (white,) in boxes or bundles;
• Paper, (heavy brown and hardware);
• Pasteboard;
• Pepper;
• Peaches, dried;
• Peas, in sacks or casks;
• Pickles, in casks;
• * Pipes, in boxes;
• Pitch;
• Plaster, in casks or barrels;
• Ploughs;
• Pork, packed;
• * Porter, in casks;
• Potatoes, in casks or sacks;
• Rags, foreign, pressed;
• Rakes;
• Railroad Chairs and Spikes;
• Rice;
• Rope;
• Rosin;
• Saleratus;
• Salt, in bags or casks;
• Saltpetre;
• Scales, in boxes;
• Scythes, in bundles;
• Scythe Stones;
• Shot, in bags;
• Shovels and Spades;
• Sizing;
• Slate;
• Soap, (common,) in boxes;
• Soda:
• Spelter and Zinc;
• Spikes, in kegs;
• Spirits, domestic;
• Starch;
• Steel, in boxes or bundles;
• Steel Springs;
• Stone;
• * Stone Ware, well packed;
• Sugar;
• Sumac;
• Tallow, owner’s risk of heat;
• Tar;
• Tiles;
• Tin, metal and plate;
• Tobacco, in bales, boxes, or hhds.;
• Tow, pressed, (in bales,) owner’s risk of fire;
• Twine, in bales;
• Vegetable Roots, in sacks or casks;
• * Vinegar;
• Water, Mineral;
• Whiskey, in casks;
• White Lead;
• Whiting;
• * Wine, in casks;
• Wire, in rolls and casks;
• Woods, in shape, unfinished;
• Woods, of value, namely, Mahogany, Lignum Vitæ, Rosewood, Cherry, Cedar, Walnut, etc.;
• Wool, foreign, pressed, in bales;
• Yam, pressed;
• Zinc and Spelter.

Third Class.

Includes the following articles in quantities of 8,000 pounds, and less than 16,000 pounds, in any one shipment from one consignor to one consignee. Same articles shipped in like manner, in quantities of 16,000 pounds and upwards, will be taken at special rates.

• Anchors;
• Anvils;
• Ashes, pot and pearl, in casks;
• Axes, iron;
• Bacon, packed;
• Bark, tanner’s, 1¼ cord per ton;
• Beans, in sacks or casks;
• Beef, packed;
• Burr Blocks;
• Cannon;
• Cement, in barrels or casks;
• Chain Cable;
• Cider;
• Clay;
• Coffee;
• Copper, in boxes;
• Flaxseed, in sacks or casks;
• Flour, in barrels;
• Grain, of all kinds;
• Grindstones;
• Hams, packed;
• High Wines;
• Iron, pig, bar, bloom, sheet, hoop, or rod;
• Iron Castings, heavy;
• Lard, in casks or barrels;
• Lead, sheet, pig, or pipe;
• Lime, in barrels;
• Marble, unwrought, at owner’s risk of breakage;
• Molasses;
• Nails, in kegs;
• Plaster, in barrels;
• Pork, packed;
• Potatoes, in sacks or casks;
• Railroad Iron, Chairs and Spikes;
• Salt, in sacks and barrels;
• Shot;
• Slate;
• Spikes, in kegs;
• Sugar, in casks;
• Teas;
• Tobacco, in boxes or hhds.;
• Vinegar, in barrels;
• Whiskey, in barrels.

Besides the above regular articles, are the following special objects of transport:—

• Stores;
• Cabinet Ware;
• Brick;
• Charcoal;
• Pressed Hay;
• Broom Corn;
• Boxes of Cigars;
• Barrels;
• Bags;
• Corn in the Ear;
• Poultry;
• Looking-glasses;
• Trees and Shrubbery;
• Safes;
• Mill-stones;
• Steam-engines;
• Machinery;
• Agricultural Implements;
• Lumber;
• Live-Stock;
• Carriages;
• Coal and Coke.