334 WOOD TRANSPORT BY LAND. 



SECTION III. FOREST-TRAMWAYS.* 



It is only during the last twenty years that iron tramways 

 have been used in forests. At first, forest-tramways were 

 constructed chiefly of wood, of which those by Leo Presti, 

 von Lippert and improved kinds in Austria-Hungary by 

 Egetz, are the best-known. 



Decauville's portable railways, which were used in France 

 for agricultural purposes, have proved thoroughly adapted for 

 timber-transport, and have found many imitators in Germany. 

 Although there may be differences of detail in the various 

 kinds of tramway in actual use, yet the chief points to be 

 secured are easy transportability of the plant combined with 

 strength and solidity of construction. 



Monorail Tramways are used in America, and in 1898, 

 de Coulon constructed a monorail tramway from the forest 

 of Neufchatel in Switzerland.! There is also a system of 

 conveying trucks on a strong level wire, supported by trestles, 

 where the motive power is supplied by a stationary steam- 

 engine. 



1. Kinds of Tramways used. 



If forest- tram ways are to be thoroughly useful for timber- 

 transport, they should start from the ordinary country lines 

 of communication, and penetrate along the main and subsidiary 

 forest roads into the interior of the forest as far as the felling- 

 areas, and even up to the individual felled trees. 



It follows that some of the lines should be permanently 

 constructed, that a second portion should be more or less 

 portable, and that those sections of the tramways which reach 

 the felling-area should be of a light portable nature. 



It is evident that in certain cases the line cannot be continued 

 up to the felling-area, whilst in other cases the portable parts 



* lUmnebaum, "Die Waldeisenbahnen," Berlin, 



Indian Forester," Vol. XII., 18(>, p. 244, for an account of a forest-tramway 

 used at Kottenforst, near Bonn, by Sir D. Brandis, K.C.I.E., and Colonel 

 I'.nilcy, U.K. Also cf. Mathey, " Kxploitation des Bois," Vol. I., liHiC,. where 

 is :i very detailed account of tramways. 



{ The Monorail Portable Railway Co. (Caillet's Patents), 22, 2'.}, Lawrence 

 Pountney Lane, Cannon St., London. K.C. 



