LOGGING IN THE DOUGLAS FIR REGION. 221 



SINGLE-LINE SYSTEM. 



The single-line system has been most used by logging operators on 

 short inclines. That it is adapted for rather long hauls, however, is 

 indicated by the following : 



An operator was confronted with the problem of opening up a 

 body of timber, estimated at 150,000,000 feet, which stood on a 

 plateau high above the existing railroad system. To extend the 

 railroad to reach this timber would have involved the constructing of 

 a series of switchbacks having a total length of 4 miles and cost- 

 ing $32,000 ; so an incline was built. l£ was determined that a special 

 lowering engine would be too expensive, considering the fact that 

 this type of engine could be used for no other purpose. A combina- 

 tion engine — one that could be used first for incline purposes and 

 later as a road engine — was selected. This engine has 12 by 14 inch 

 cylinders and a 72-inch boiler, the arrangement permitting the fore 

 end to be converted into a standard road engine with a few changes. 

 The main drum is fitted with a 10-inch shaft, also with a special 

 brake. 



The incline is built on a straight line, and has a length of 2,000 

 feet and a maximum grade of 66^ per cent. Wire rope 1^ inches in 

 diameter is used for a lowering line. 



The incline has a capacity of 25 cars per day, the average load 

 amounting to about 7,600 feet. One truck is lowered at a time. 

 An average round trip takes 15 minutes, 4 minutes for lowering the 

 load and 3 minutes for returning the empty to the summit. The 

 other 8 minutes are taken up in hooking and unhooking loads, and 

 in idle time. 



The lowering engine cost $6,500; the grading, track laying, etc., 

 $4,700. 



TWO-LINE SYSTEM. 



The first incline of the two-line type was installed in 1914. The 

 logging manager who devised the scheme was confronted with the 

 problem of removing the timber from 9 square miles of mountain- 

 side the lower boundary of which was about 1,200 feet above the 

 main line railroad that ran along the base of the slope. The timber 

 along the bottom of the slope had been logged to this railroad by 

 the ordinary ground yarding method. To open up the timber on the 

 mountainside with a system of railroad spurs of the usual type would 

 have meant the tying up of a large quantity of steel rails, and very 

 long, heavy switching; or, in other words, a heavy investment and 

 high operating cost. It was decided that the topography of this par- 

 ticular area would permit the use of a railroad incline from which 

 lateral spurs could be projected on practical grades^ or grades on 

 which a geared locomotive could be operated. 



