Sidney A. Beeers

Sidney A. Beers was a civil engineer and the inventor of the Improved Elastic Railroad, for which he was granted a patent on 18 May 1858.
Improved Elastic Railroad
The invention of Sidney A. Beers, 280 Broadway, New York, consisted of employing a sub-foundation of rubble stone, a block of oak plank, a shoe of cast iron, an arch or foundation rail and ties also of cast-iron, surmounted by a rolled iron coping rail, with an elastic material introduced between the two kinds of rail.<ref name="ScientificAmerican"/>
Although the first cost of construction was expected to somewhat exceed that of the railroads in use at the time, the expense of repairs was predicted to be so far diminished as not only to speedily reimburse the construction account, but also to ensure a largely increased dividend upon the total investment.<ref name="ScientificAmerican"/>
 
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