200 



BULLETIN 711, U. S, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



TOTAL COST OF BUILDING LOGGING EAILROADS. 



The total cost of building 4f miles of logging railroad in one case, 

 exclusive of ties, steel, fixtures, and certain other items indicated in 

 the following discussion of the cost, was as follows : 



Items. 



Total cost. 



Cost per 

 mile. 



EngineeiinE: and superintendence 



Construction, buildings, etc 



GradinR tools 



Clearing right of way 



Labor grading 



Powder grading 



Stringer bridges 



Trestles on hill 



Trestl"s at sloucrh 



Labor laying track 



Labor surfacing 



Total 



012. 25 

 60.00 

 102. 76 



295. no 



824. 05 

 247. 57 

 505. 50 

 623. 63 

 132. 00 

 S21. 50 

 223. 66 



$423. 63 



12.63 



21.63 



483.16 



1,857.70 



262. 65 



119. 05 



973.40 



S69. 89 



694.00 



1,310.24 



6, 927. 98 



Starting at the bottom of the hill, the first 975 feet consisted of a 

 pile-bent trestle. Another pile-bent trestle, 2,325 feet long, branch- 

 ing from the main line and running in the same general direction, 

 is included in the above cost. From the end of the first trestle the 

 road passed along a very steep hillside, over one switchback, and 

 around an oxbow. From the beginning to the end of the first 2| 

 miles of graded track the air-line distance was If miles. The last 

 If miles was fairly light construction, the road traversing rolling 

 ground which was swampy in places. The maximum curve was 30° 

 and the heaviest grade (favorable) was 6| per cent. After the top 

 of the hill was passed there was an adverse grade of 5 per cent. 

 The grade from the bottom to the top of the hill averaged 4 per cent. 



The cost of the engineering and superintendence includes the cost 

 of the location and supervision, the salary and expenses of the 

 resident engineer, also the salaries of his assistants. 



The preliminary work includes the cost of constructing living 

 quarters for the laborers and pile-driving crew, also an office. 

 Twenty-five per cent of this cost was charged against the railroad 

 construction work. The cost of structures was as follows : 



Material $127.30 



Labor 112. 65 



Total 239. 95 . 



The total cost of grading tools was $308.29. These tools at the 

 completion of the work were transferred to the logging department, 

 33^ per cent of their cost, or $102.76, being charged against the 

 grading. Practically all of the grading was done by hand. 



The cost of wire rope used in yarding material along the right of 

 way and in driving piling, blocks, hooks, pea vies, pike poles, logging- 



