Permanent Way

Plain Track

DatesDescriptionSource
1864

21ft. rail lengths, 75lb/yard

25lb. chairs (2-hole), with 28lb chairs (3-hole) on penultimate sleepers.

8 sleepers per length (9ft. x 10in. x 5in.).
Rail end to first sleeper centre line: 1ft. 1in.,
7 sleepers: 2ft. 82/7in. centres,
last sleeper centre to end of rail: 1ft. 1in.

 1864 Permanent Way Drawing
1866

21ft. rail lengths

8 sleepers per length (9ft. by 10in. by 5in.)

 2018-03-06TNA: MT 6-41-21, Inspection report for the 1866 line from East Grinstead to Tunbridge Wells.
1880

21ft. rail lengths, 78lb/yard, steel

32lb. chairs (3-hole)

8 sleepers per length (9ft. x 10in. x 5in.).
Rail end to first sleeper centre line: 1ft. 1in.,
7 sleepers: 2ft. 82/7in. centres,
last sleeper centre to end of rail: 1ft. 1in.

 1864 Permanent Way drawing (amended 1880)
1885

30ft. rail lengths, 78lb/yard, steel

40lb. chairs (3-hole)

12 sleepers per length (9ft. x 10in. x 5in.).
Rail end to first sleeper centre line: 1ft. 15/8in.
11 sleepers: 2ft. 61/4in. centres,
last sleeper centre to end of rail: 1ft. 5/8in.

 1864 Permanent Way drawing (amended 1885)
c.1894

30ft. rail lengths, 96lb/yard, steel

12 sleepers per length (9ft. x 10in. x 5in.).
Rail end to first sleeper centre line: 1ft. 15/8in.
11 sleepers: 2ft. 61/4in. centres,
last sleeper centre to end of rail: 1ft. 5/8in.

 Permanent Way and Civil Engineering, J.F.C. Johnson, EM Gauge Society Technical Note No.6, 1973
1901

45ft. rail lengths introduced, 95lb/yard and 96lb/yard rail

46lb chairs (4-holes)

18 sleepers per length (9ft. x 10in. x 5in.).
Rail end to first sleeper centre line: 1ft. 115/16in.
17 sleepers: 2ft. 61/4in. centres,
last sleeper centre to end of rail: 1ft. 15/16in.

Rail

Weight Lengths Height (ins) Adopted Notes
75lb/yard 21ft. ? 1860s 1864 Permanent Way Drawing
78lb/yard 21ft & 30ft. ? 1880s 1885 Drawing. Survived on branches into 1900s
82lb/yard 30ft.? ? 1885 Fratton to Southsea line
84lb/yard 30ft.? 55/16in. 1886
87lb/yard ? 51/2in. ?
90lb/yard ? 535/64in. ?
95lb/yard 30ft. 523/32in. 1897 Increased to 45ft. (1901)
96lb/yard ? 53/4in. 1905/1911
95lb/yard
BS.9 (1909)		 45ft. 523/32in. 1918

1874: Start of change over to steel rails. [Brighton Circular Vol.XX, p.XX]

1906: A map dated 1906 shows the various rail sections used on the LBSCR. Typically 84lb/yard, 95lb/yard and 96lb/yard rail were used on the main line and in the London area, 78lb/yard rail (being replaced by 84lb/yard) used on branches, there were some small amounts of 87lb/yard, and 90lb/yard rail. The Fratton to Southsea line was laid with 82lb/yard rail. Some flat bottom rail was used on bridges. [TNA: RAIL-414/647]

Sleepers

Generally, sleepers used on plain track were 9ft. long, by 10in. wide and 5in. thick.

Chairs

1864: 25lb. chairs (2-hole). 28lb chairs (3-hole) on penultimate sleeper before rail joint [1864 Permanent Way drawing]

1880: 32lb chairs (3-hole). [1864 Permanent Way drawing (amended 1880)]

1885: 40lb chairs (3-hole). [1864 Permanent Way drawing (amended 1885)]

c.1890: The LBSCR used chairs weighing 46lb. and a net base area of 106.3 sq. in. to support 95 lb. rail. They were fastened by two 7/8 in. spikes 51/2in. long and two solid oak trenails 11/4in. diameter for 35/8 in. and tapering to 111/16 in. the remaining 25/8 in. of the total length of 61/4in. [Notes on Permanent Way material, platelaying, and points and crossings . W.H. Cole, 1903 (4th edition)]

Holes Date Where seen Rail Weight Cast by Photo
2 1862 DS collection 75lb/yard 25lb FW&Co
3 1876 DS collection 75lb or 78lb/yard 28 or 32lb FW&Co
3 1879 Bluebell museum 78lb/yard? 32lb? AF Co 1879 3 hole chair [32kb]
4 1898 Bluebell museum 95lb/yard 46lb HW&Co Ld 1898 4 hole chair [35kb]
4 1906 DS collection 95lb/yard 46lb HW&Co Ld
4 1909 Bluebell track 96lb/yard 46lb? WP&Co 1909 4 hole chair [30kb]
4 1910 Bluebell track 96lb/yard 46lb? WP&Co 1910 4 hole chair [18kb]
1910 4 hole chair [15kb]

In the "Cast by" column "Co" = Company and "Ld" = Limited.