Excerpt from A Field Manual for Railroad Engineers Nearly twenty years ago the first edition of this manual was issued. Except for minor corrections, and the addition of Tables XXVI II and XXIX, in the second edition, less than two years later, no changes have since been made. For several years the author has had a general revision in contemplation, but other and more pressing calls have prevented this. As finally made, the revision covers more than was intended when it was begun, but falls short of what it should be, and has been done in a fragmentary manner. It is hoped, however, that the usefulness of the book has been increased. Considerable new matter has been added to Chapter V. In order to conform to present practice, formulas have been derived for the conditions of straight frogs and switch points. Some engineers prefer the more approximate treatment, in which both switch-rails and frogs are assumed to be curved, and certam the formulas are simpler and easier of application. For those who prefer it, the old method has been retained in large part. One may take his choice of methods. A brief treatment of the mass-curve in connection with overhaul has been inserted, and the subject of grades has been amplified. Scattered through the text numerous other changes, additions, and omissions have been made. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.