34 FOREST UTILIZATION 



drivers; r stands for minimum weight 

 of rail in pounds. 

 Estimates of cost of track, exclusive of 

 rolling stock and bridge arrangements, 

 vary from $1,300 to $4,300 per mile for 

 easy grading. One-half of the expense 

 in this case is for rails, spikes and splice 

 joints (fish plates). 

 The grading and laying of track costs from $300 

 to $l,coo per mile for easy grading; and cross 

 ties cost about as much. 

 Estimate of cost per mile for 



1. Sixteen-pound steel rail, requiring 



25 tons of rail @ $32 per ton.$ 800.00 

 1,780 pounds of syi^H i"- spikes 



at 2c per pound 3S-6o 



357 splice joints at 20c 7i-40 



2,640 cross ties at 15c 396.00 



Grading and track laying 500.00 



Total $1,803.00 



2. 40-pound steel rail, requiring 63 



tons of rail at $30 per ton $1,890.00 



4,6go pounds of 4x^ in. spikes at' 



2c a pound 93-8o 



357 splice joints at 40c each 142.80 



2,640 cross ties at 25c each 660.CO 



Grading and laying track 1,000.00 



Total $3,786.60 



(d) Cars. 



Cars consisting of two trucks, of two axles each, 

 form the rule. 



The trucks should be very low and should have 

 short distance between axles where curves 

 are heavy. For narrow gauge tracks, special 

 trucks are constructed costing from $50 to $80. 

 While steel trucks are more satisfactory in the 

 old country, in America trucks with wooden 

 framing and wooden bolsters are usually pre- 

 ferred, owing to greater ease of repair far from 

 factory. 



The bearings are frequently outside as well as 

 inside the wheels, so as to have the frame sup- 

 ported at eight instead of at four points of 

 the two axles. The bolsters, swiveled on the 

 frame, are very frequently much longer 

 (wider) than the axles. 



