Fig. 302. Joints of the Track. so we fastened them at the proper distance apart with ties nailed to the under side. But to be sure that the rails were not too far apart or too close together, the car was rolled over the track and the rails were set to keep the tread disks of the wheels on them and the flange disks just clear of their inner edges. The ends of the rails were cut off at an angle, making a slanting joint, as shown in Figs. 301 and 302. They were fastened firmly together by nailing a piece of board on the bottom and also on the outer side.
The Carpenter’s Miter Box.
To make sure that the ends were all cut to the same angle, we made a carpenter’s “miter box.” Two sideboards were nailed to a baseboard, making a trough large enough for
Fig. 303. Carpenter’s Miter Box. the scantling to be set in it. Then we sawed through the sides of the trough at an angle of 45 degrees. When we wanted to cut the end of the scantling at an angle it was placed in the trough, and with the saw set in the saw cuts, as a guide, we were sure that they would all be cut at the same angle.
Laying the Track.
Fig. 304. How the Track was Anchored.