his branch of the work, and by weeding out
imperfect workers, can soon get together a first-rate gang of spikers.
But no trouble will be experienced from carelessly driven spikes, if
the tie has the spike holes bored into it, before laying. This is
considered good practice, but rather expensive.

[Illustration]

For boring the holes quickly and accurately, a proper template should
be made, by which the ties are marked for the borers, who should be
provided with boring machines, by the use of which a hole, square with
the face of the tie is bored. The boring machines should be so
arranged as not to cut the hole beyond the required depth, which
should be slightly less than the length of the spike. The diameter of
the holes should be about 1-16 of an inch less than the thickness of
the spike. This not only does away with the spike tearing its way
through the timber and thus injuring its fiber to a great extent and
causing it to be much more susceptible to rot, but it is said to
increase the adhesion of the spike in hard wood ties at least 50 per
cent. But in order that the best results may be obtained, the spike
should be flattened on either side of the sloping point, which will
generally prevent it leaving the hole.

The spikers should carefully avoid striking the rail with their mauls,
as such carelessness often produces fracture, which sometimes causes
the rail to break in two at such points, which is liable to produce
derailment and serious accident. Spike mauls should weigh not less
than nine nor more than ten pounds, and should be on straight handles,
not less than 3 ft. long. After considerable use, the face of the maul
will become somewhat rounded, and when this takes place it should be
sent to the shop to be redressed. The last blow on the spike should be
only sufficiently hard to cause its throat to fit snugly on the rail;
a harder blow will often fracture the spike in such a manner as to
cause the head in a short time to break off and leave the rail
unsupported at that point. Foremen should not allow a spike to be
pulled, especially in frosty weather, until it has been first struck a
light blow to break the rust and loosen its hold in the wood. The
filling of old spike holes with wooden plugs is bad practice, for the
reason that they will cause the spike in a short time to slip from its
place; to fill the holes with sand is much better, and spikes driven
in holes so filled will hold much more firmly. The best