|
Houston Tap & Brazoria Track |
|
| Ties | |
|
Type |
Live Oak, Post Oak, White Oak, Cedar, Mulberry |
|
Number |
2000 - 2200 / mile |
|
Length |
6 feet |
|
Width |
8 inches |
| Thickness | 6 inches |
| Iron | |
| Number (foreign manufacture) | 503 / mile |
| Length | 21 feet |
| Chairs (American wrought iron) | 503 / mile |
| Spikes | 7,545 / mile |
| Embankments | |
| 12 feet wide on the top on the first 7 miles; the rest are 10 to 14 feet wide (10 feet wide where the embankment is less than 3 feet high and 12 feet when 3 to 4 feet high and 14 feet when the embankment is over 4 feet high). The slope of the embankment is 1 1/2 feet horizontally to one foot vertically. The excavations are 22 feet wide at the bottom, including the ditches. The average height of the embankments is 1 1/2 feet and the average depth of excavation is 2 feet. | |
| Grade | |
| The difference of level between the terminus of the 50 miles is a descent of 15 feet. The maximum grade is 80 feet (occurring in the streets of Houston). The maximum grade on the rest of the road is but 11.79 feet. The total ascent is 44.21 feet, but the descent is 59.21 feet. | |
| Side Tracks | |
| In June, 1860, there were 10, with a total length of 4500 feet | |