Amazing history .....
The first railroad in USA was in my hometown (Quincy MA). They used it to transport granite in the early 1800's to a river 3 miles from the quarries. Used it to build many buildings including the Bunker Hill Monument.
Metal straps were attached to wooden rails using bolts. The wood did not last too long so within 3 years they replaced the wooden rails with granite rails. Still used 3/16 thick flat steel and attached them to the granite. But the bolts came loose. They did not have any epoxy glue back then, so what did they do??????
The exact same thing they are doing in the Big Dig tunnels. Using bolts which expand in the hole and grip tightly. Maintenace on this railroad in the 1830's was approximately $10 a year.
Here is a picture of the beginning of the railroad in Quincy
