222 



BULLETIN 711, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Largely because of the shape of their holdings and the topography 

 of the area, the company had to construct three inclines. These in- 

 clines proved verj satisfactory. In length they ranged from 4,000 

 to 6,000 feet. The grades varied. The grades on the first one ranged 

 from 6 to 18 per cent, with the exception of 600 feet of 1| per cent 

 grade. In the case of one of the others, the maximum grade was 30 

 per cent. While the aim is to build these inclines on a straight line, 

 or nearly so, it is not always practical to do so. For example, in one 



case 1,200 feet of the in- 

 cline was on a 12 degree 

 curve. 



The incline proper is 

 constructed as in the case 

 of an ordinary railroad 

 spur. There is a siding 

 for the accommodation of 

 empties at the bottom of 

 the incline, also at points 

 on the incline where the 

 lateral spurs, about one- 

 fourth mile apart, con- 

 nect with it. See figure TO. 

 The power is furnished 

 by an 11 by 13 inch hoist- 

 ing engine of the reversi- 

 ble type, which is placed 

 at the top of the slope 

 (fig. 70). This engine, 

 which has a drum capac- 

 ity of 12,000 feet of 1^- 

 inch cable, is mounted on 

 a sled and can be moved 

 from one location to another in the same way as the ordinary ground 

 yarding engine. It has ample power to handle five loaded cars on a 

 40 per cent grade. 



When the sj^stem is in operation, the lowering line leads f-rom the 

 engine, which is placed to the left of the incline, then through a 

 block on the lowering car, and thence to a stump or deadman near 

 the engine but on the opposite side of the incline (fig. 70). This 

 doubles the pulling power of the engine. 



The loaded cars, where the grade will permit, are attached one to 

 the other in the usual way, with the head load attached direct to the 

 lowering car (fig. 71) by a tag line. Where the grade is steep, the 

 method shown in figure 72 is used. The lowering car has a heavy steel 

 frame and is 16 feet long. A large compound block (fig. 73), tri- 



FiG. 70. 



-Location equipment and tracks, two-line 

 railroad incline. 



