LUMBEEING IN PINE EEGION OF CALIFOENIA. 89 



The upper end of the incline is near the mill and the lower ter- 

 minus is on a trunk-line railroad. Its length is 4,200 feet and the 

 difference in elevation is 1,500 feet, making an average grade of 

 38.5 per cent. The maximum grade is 72 per cent on a stretch of 

 125 feet. The alignment of the track involves three tangents, vary- 

 ing about 5 degrees in direction, joined by two 10-degree curves. 

 The grade at the curves is flattened out to about 10 per cent. The 

 track is narrow gauge with 45-pound rails and 6 by 8 inch by 6 feet 

 redwood ties, dirt ballasted in the usual manner, no other provision 

 being necessary to prevent the track creeping downhill. The 

 initial cost of the construction of the track was between S6,000 and 

 $7,000. The expense of delivering the ties and lail on the ground 

 was very high. 



The cars are lowered by a 1-inch cable, supported by 33 ground 

 rollers and three upright rollers. The cable is controlled by a large 

 wooden drum 11 feet in diameter and 14 feet in width, located in a 

 building at the top of the incline. This drum is equipped with a 

 brake wheel 16 feet in diameter and the load is let down by a hand 

 brake. A 14 by 20 inch twin cylinder hoisting engine from 150 to 

 200 horsepower operates the drum in hauling up the empty car. 

 This equipment has sufficient power to haul up an ordinary sawmill 

 boiler. A 60 inch by 16 foot boiler is required to supply the engine 

 with steam. The cost of the power plant was about $5,000. 



The lumber is lowered on 21-foot narrow-gauge flat cars, one car 

 at a trip. The average load per car is about 3,000 feet, and a round 

 trip is made in one-half hour, including switching. The usual average 

 daily output is 40,000 and the normal capacity is 60,000 feet board 

 measure. The crew consists of an engineer, fireman, and brakeman. 

 The cost of operation is calculated at from 35 to 40 cents per 1,000. 



LUMBER FLUMES. 



Another way of transporting lumber from inaccessible sawmill 

 sites to trunk railroads is by means of flumes. These can be built 

 at a lower cost per mile than railroads and heavier grades may bo 

 descended, thus reducing the mileage. The initial cost is at least 

 from 60 to 75 per cent less than for a railroad. Another advantage 

 is that the water used in the flume can in most instances be disposed 

 of for irrigation purposes at the lower end. 



The direct cost of fluming lumber is low, but the cost of main- 

 taining the flume is very heavy. The principal disadvantage is 

 that aU equipment and supplies used in the logging and sawmill 

 operation must be freighted in with teams for distances of from 40 

 to 50 miles. Tlie expense of suclx f relighting ranges from $15 to $20 

 per ton. Oth(;r disud vantages are the wear of the lumber in the 

 flume and the dilliculty of shipping wide boards. For these and 



