waybeam

English

Etymology

From way +‎ beam.

Noun

waybeam (plural waybeams)

1. (rail transport) A longitudinal timber supporting railway track, especially on a bridge.
   • 1950 March, H. A. Vallance, “On Foot Across the Forth Bridge”, in Railway Magazine, page 149:

     Oak waybeams, 28 ft. long × 14 in. wide × 9½ in. deep, resting in the troughs, support the track, which is laid with flat-bottom bridge rails, 56 ft. long, and weighing 126 lb. per yd.

References

• “waybeam”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.