RAILROAD CONSTRUCTION 293 



another panel length and the operation repeated. For track 

 laying the process is reversed. 



A device for handling rails and ties at an operation in Oregon^ 

 consists of an 8- by lo-inch, or 9- by lo-inch donkey engine 

 equipped with two drums having 24-inch barrels and a capacity 

 of from 1200 to 1400 feet of f-inch cable, and an ''A" boom 

 on which are hung two blocks, one in the peak and one midway 

 between the peak and the frame on which the equipment is 

 mounted. 



The donkey is placed on a car and, with an empty flat in front, 

 is run out on the track to be taken up. The machine can 

 operate only on straight stretches of track; heitce, where there 

 are frequent curves, a set-up must be made at the head of each 

 curve. The maximum range of the machine is from 1000 to 

 1200 feet. 



A cable is run from the peak block to another block which is 

 attached to a tree or stump about 30 feet to one side of the track. 

 A second cable is also run from the lower block to one on the 

 opposite side of the track. The lines are then dragged by a 

 horse to the end of the spur. 



The bolts are removed from one end of the fish plates, and 

 the latter left on the rear end of each rail. The cable is then 

 attached to the rail and it is drawn forward beside the next one. 

 When four rails are attached they are drawn in along the side 

 of the empty car, and loaded with the line from the peak block. 

 About sixty-four ties are made into a pile, a choker placed 

 around them, and the pile drawn in at the side of the flat car 

 where they are loaded by hand. In ten hours, twelve or four- 

 teen men can pick up and load from 1 200 to 1400 feet of track 

 without the assistance of a locomotive. 



Track-laying crews are followed by back spikers, who complete 

 the spiking of the track. On main line and curves four spikes 

 are placed in each tie, two for each rail, but on spurs every other 

 tie may be spiked. The track can be taken up more readily 

 if it has a minimum number of spikes to pull and the life of the 

 tie is also increased. A crew of seven men will back-spike 1600 

 feet of track per day. 



1 The Timberman, Portland, Oregon, August, 1912, p. 48. 



