Edge-rail.
（Railroad.) a. One form of railroad-rail, which bears the rolling stock on its edge. The rail is contradistinguished by its name from the flat-rail, which was first used; the angle-rail, which succeeded that; the bridge-rail, which presents an arched tread and has lateral flanged feet; the footrail, which has a tread like the edg-rail, but, unlike it, has a broad base formed by foot flanges. The first public railway laid with edge rails was made by Jessop of Loughborough, England, 1789. They were of cast-iron in 3 or 4 feet lengths, and had vertical holes near each end by which they were wooden-pinned to the sleepers. They were fishbellied, and subsequently laid on cast-iron chairs. Wyatt's patent in 1800 was an oval east-iron rail. The upper surface was afterwards flattened. Rolled-iron edge-rails were made in 1820 under Birkenshaw's patent. See rail; Railway. b. A rail placed by the side of the main rail at a switch to prevent the train from running off the track when the direction is changed.
