62 BULLETIN" 440, U. S. DEPAETMENT OP AGRICULTURE. 



lifted and relaid three times. Where they are left in place the 

 customary sawed fir ties must be entirely replaced in five or six years. 

 Cedar ties last considerably longer. 



INCLINES AND LOG HOISTS. 



Inclined tracks for lowering or hoisting logs are becoming an 

 important engineering feature in connection with logging railroads. 

 At points where the country rises rapidly and it is necessary for the 

 continuation of the logging railroad to be at a considerably higher 

 level, an incline will satisfactorily reach the upper level and obviate 

 the construction of switchbacks or detours. Timber may often be 

 opened up by an incline where the cost of a continuous logging 

 railroad would be prohibitive. Furthermore, it usually costs less to 

 operate an incline than several miles of heavy-grade railroad. Fre- 

 quently inchnes can be used advantageously for hoisting logs out 

 of coves or pockets below the level of the main track. 



Existing inchnes have proved that their use may be extended and 

 that no engineering conditions are likely to be met with in construc- 

 tion which will prove insurmountable. A common type is one in use 

 in the central Sierras for lowering logs to the main line from a short 

 narrow-gauge hne higher up the mountain. The total length is 

 4,770 feet and the total descent is 840 feet. Thus the average grade 

 is 18 per cent, with a maximum of 35 per cent and a minimum of 14 

 per cent. The line is a tangent for 3,600 feet, but there are two 

 short 5° curves near the bottom. The track is 36-inch gauge with 

 40-pound rails, and narrow-gauge ties spaced about 10 or 12 per rail. 

 It is weU. ballasted with dirt, and apparently no other provision is 

 made to prevent the track creeping downhOl. Both the initial cost 

 of construction and the maintenance of way are less than for an 

 equal length of railroad, because no provision need be made for the 

 pounding action of a locomotive. The lowering equipment consists 

 of a 10 by 12 inch hoisting engine connected with a steel drum about 

 the same size of that on a large reading engine. A wheel about 

 6 feet in diameter is attached to the drum for braking. The cable 

 used is ordina,ry 1-inch wire logging rope. Two skeleton log cars 

 are lowered at one tune, each with a load of 3,000 feet board measure. 

 The average time of a trip is from 20 to 30 mmutes. The loaded 

 cars come down by gravity, controlled by the brake, and when 

 unloaded are hauled up by the engine. 



The largest incHne in use m this region is one about 8,000 feet 

 in length, which has a fall of 3,100 feet, or approximately 45 per 

 cent. The grade is very uneven, however, varying between a 

 maximum of 78 per cent and a mmimum of 10 per cent. The track 

 is standard gauge and is well ballasted. The upper half is double 

 track and the lower half single track. Including gravity switching 



