72 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



The intermediate wood sleepers sawn out of tops were, on 

 account of the soft nature of the ground, used to supplement 

 the steel sleepers, with a view of easing the strain on the rails. 



The track was laid in the dead of winter, during the shortest 

 days, and with snow and frost to contend with. Had it been 

 possible to do this in summer, the labour bill would have been 

 reduced by one-third, as the men are paid at the same rate 

 in summer as in winter. The convenience, however, of doing 

 the work at that season outweighed all other considerations, 

 and the advance in the price of iron subsequent to purchase 

 probably makes the difference more apparent than real. 



The bogies are hauled from the saw-mill to the felling area 

 by horse. The cuts, mostly lo ft. and i8 ft., are hauled to the 

 railway side, the heavier ones with their butts on a sledge and 

 the lighter ones in the usual way. They are then loaded on 

 to the bogies by skids, secured by chains and jacks, and 

 returned to the saw-mill, one-third of the way by horse haulage 

 and the remaining two-thirds down a declivity under control of 

 the brakes and a rope. 



The two sets of points are in use, one at the felling area to 

 form a spur, and the other at the foot of the declivity and near 

 the saw-mill, as runaway points, to automatically switch the 

 loaded bogies, in case of accident, into a sawdust heap. 



On the average, it costs 3s. per 100 quarter-girth cubic 

 feet to bring timber from the felling area to the saw-mill by 

 tramway. To cart the same quantity costs 6s. 3d. 



One horse alone cannot keep the mill supplied by cart 

 haulage^ but by tramway one horse can easily do this in three 

 days of ^ach week. This leaves the horse available for other 

 jobs on the remaining three days, which, taken by itself, is a 

 great economy and convenience. 



