56 
BULLETIN 440, U. S. DEPARTMENT OE AGRICULTURE. 
For a standard-gauge railroad the cost is about $200 per mile for 
laying the track and from $350 to $500 per mile for surfacing, depend- 
ing upon the difficulty and thoroughness of the work. A good 
average figure for laying and surfacing is $600 per mile. Because 
the materials are lighter and the roadbed is narrower, the cost of 
laying and surfacing a narrow-gauge railroad is ordinarily less. The 
usual cost for a narrow-gauge ranges from $450 to $550 per mile. 
Under favorable conditions on one narrow-gauge road a crew of 15 
men and a foreman, at a daily cost of $37, lay and surface an average 
of 400 feet of track per day. These costs are for main lines and im- 
portant spurs. For spurs used only a short time the cost of sur- 
facing may not be over from $150 to $200 per mile, though the cost 
of laying track remains the same. 
As the various spurs are logged out the track is lifted and trans- 
ported to new spurs. Rails may be lifted once every season for from 
15 to 20 years. Ties may usually be lifted about three times. The 
cost of lifting by hand when both rails and ties are taken up is about 
the same as laying track, or a little more, say from $200 to $300 per 
mile. 
Logging railroads are commonly operated by telephone. The cost 
of a tree Hue is from $30 to $40 per mile. Ordinarily, logging roads 
need be at no expense for fencing. 
Equipment. — The equipment, or motive power and rolling stock, 
consists of steam locomotives and cars or trucks. Locomotives are of 
two general types; rod, or straight connected, and geared. The 
choice between the two kinds is determined by the grades and curva- 
ture of the road. 
Rod locomotives are used for the longer hauls on main-line roads. 
They make better time and cost less for maintenance. The cost of 
operation per 1,000 feet board measure is thus less than for geared 
engines, especially for hauls over 15 miles in length. The weight of a 
rod locomotive for main-line work varies with the maximum grades 
and the maximum load. The usual sizes are from 40 to 75 tons. The 
larger engines are used for long lumber or log hauls. The approxi- 
mate cost prices on the Pacific coast and the tractive power of rod loco- 
motives follows : 
Total 
weight. 
Weight 
on 
drivers. 
Load at slow speed. 
Cost. 
Level. 
1 per 
cent 
grade. 
3 per 
cent 
grade. 
4 per 
cent 
grade. 
Tons. 
42 
55 
67 
71 
Tons. 
31 
40 
49 
57 
Tons. 
1,240 
1,630 
1,970 
Tons. 
415 
545 
665 
Tons. 
140 
185 
225 
Tons. 
90 
125 
150 
S9,500 
11, 200 
13,900 
14,500 
