56 



BULLETIN 440, U. S. DEPARTMENT OE AGRICULTURE. 



For a standard-gauge railroad the cost is about $200 per mile for 

 laying the track and from $350 to $500 per mile for surfacing, depend- 

 ing upon the difficulty and thoroughness of the work. A good 

 average figure for laying and surfacing is $600 per mile. Because 

 the materials are lighter and the roadbed is narrower, the cost of 

 laying and surfacing a narrow-gauge railroad is ordinarily less. The 

 usual cost for a narrow-gauge ranges from $450 to $550 per mile. 

 Under favorable conditions on one narrow-gauge road a crew of 15 

 men and a foreman, at a daily cost of $37, lay and surface an average 

 of 400 feet of track per day. These costs are for main lines and im- 

 portant spurs. For spurs used only a short time the cost of sur- 

 facing may not be over from $150 to $200 per mile, though the cost 

 of laying track remains the same. 



As the various spurs are logged out the track is lifted and trans- 

 ported to new spurs. Rails may be lifted once every season for from 

 15 to 20 years. Ties may usually be lifted about three times. The 

 cost of lifting by hand when both rails and ties are taken up is about 

 the same as laying track, or a little more, say from $200 to $300 per 

 mile. 



Logging railroads are commonly operated by telephone. The cost 

 of a tree line is from $30 to $40 per mile. Ordinarily, logging roads 

 need be at no expense for fencing. 



Equipment. — The equipment, or motive power and rolling stock, 

 consists of steam locomotives and cars or trucks. Locomotives are of 

 two general types; rod, or straight connected, and geared. The 

 choice between the two kinds is determined by the grades and curva- 

 ture of the road. 



Rod locomotives are used for the longer hauls on main-line roads. 

 They make better time and cost less for maintenance. The cost of 

 operation per 1,000 feet board measure is thus less than for geared 

 engines, especially for hauls over 15 miles in length. The weight of a 

 rod locomotive for main-line work varies with the maximum grades 

 and the maximum load. The usual sizes are from 40 to 75 tons. The 

 larger engines are used for long lumber or log hauls. The approxi- 

 mate cost prices on the Pacific coast and the tractive power of rod loco- 

 motives f oUows : 



Total 

 weight. 



Weight 



on 

 drivers. 



Load at slow speed. 



Cost. 



Level. 



1 per 

 • cent 

 grade. 



3 per 



cent 

 grade. 



4 per 

 cent 

 grade. 



Tons. 

 42 

 55 

 67 

 71 



Tons. 

 31 



40 

 49 



57 ■ 



Tons. 

 1,240 

 1,630 

 1,970 



Tons. 

 415 

 645 

 665 



Tons. 

 140 

 185 

 225 



Tons. 

 90 

 125 

 150 



S9,500 

 11, 200 

 13,900 

 14,600 











