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Iron-strapped wooden rails were used on all American railways until 1831. Col. Robert L. Stevens, the President of the Camden and Amboy Railroad, conceived the idea that an all-iron rail would be better suited for building a railroad. He sailed to England which was the only place where his flanged T rail (also called T-section) could be rolled. Railways in England had been using a similar rail which the ironmasters had produced.
In May, 1831, the first 500 rails, each 15 feet long and weighing 36 pounds per yard, reached Philadelphia and were placed in the track, marking the first use of the flanged T rail. Afterwards, the flanged T rail became employed by all railroads in the United States. The modern version is made of an alloy of steel that is much heavier and stronger than the original rail.
Col. Stevens also invented the hooked spike for attaching the rail and the sill plate (tie plate) to the crosstie (or sleeper). At the present time, the screw spike is being used widely in place of the hooked spike, perhaps because it is possible to install the screw spike by using a labor-saving machine that replaces salaried workers.
At the present time, crossties or sleepers constructed of concrete are in use in some places. The use of creosote as a treatment for wooden crossties has been declared to be detrimental to the health of people and plants. The crossties or sleepers are embedded in ballast in order to provide stability and drainage.
Joining the rails
The joint where two rails are connected is the weakest part of a rail line. The earliest iron rails were joined by a simple fishplate or bar of metal bolted through the web of the rail. Stronger methods of joining two rails together have been developed. When sufficient metal is put into the rail joint, the joint is almost as strong as the rest of the rail length. The noise generated by trains passing over the rail joints, described as "the clickity clack of the railroad track", can be eliminated by welding the rail sections together forming a continuous rail. One kind of welding is the Thermite welding process.
"Flanged T rail"