58 
BULLETIN 440, U. S. DEPARTMENT OE AGRICULTURE. 
to 80 ton locomotives the shipping weight is from 5 to 8 tons less 
than the working weight. 
Three types of log cars are used: Separate trucks, skeleton cars 
or connected trucks, and flats. Separate trucks are used on several 
narrow-gauge roads. They are necessary wherever long logs must 
be transported on crooked roads. The cost of upkeep is so large 
and the danger of accident so great that for pine it is usually better 
to buck all logs into short lengths and use skeleton or flat cars. 
Because of their freedom from accidents, flat cars are believed to be 
the best. Most firms are now using them. They may be used on 
any grades and on curves up to 60° on narrow-gauge tracks. Air 
brakes are now used on all roads except a few of the shorter narrow- 
gauge hues. Pin couplers are still used on most narrow-gauge roads, 
even for flat cars. Automatic couplers are used on most of the 
standard-gauge roads. Practically universal use of air brakes and 
automatic couplers is only a question of time. 
The separate trucks used on narrow-gauge roads with hand brakes 
have about 30,000 pounds capacity and are 21 feet over all (two 
trucks); the average load is from 2,000 to 2,500 feet. The flats used 
on narrow-gauge roads are 24 feet in length by 7 § or 8 feet wide, and 
have a rated capacity of 40,000 pounds. The average loads range 
from 3,000 to 4,500 feet. Two types of flats are used on standard- 
gauge roads. The smaller is a 26-foot car with 60,000 pounds 
capacity; the average load is from 4,500 to 5,000. A 41-foot flat is, 
however, preferred, the rated capacity being 80,000 pounds; the 
usual load is 7,000 or 8,000 feet. 
The cost of 21 -foot wooden trucks equipped with air brakes and 
delivered on the Pacific coast is about $275 for 30,000 pounds capacity, 
$310 for 40,000 pounds capacity, $370 for 50,000 pounds capacity, 
and $470 for 50,000 pounds capacity. A San Francisco firm quotes 
60,000 pounds capacity trucks rebuilt from trunk-line equipment at 
$425 each, and connected trucks with 80,000 pounds capacity, 
equipped with patent bunks, at $750 each. Both types have air 
brakes and automatic couplers. Another coast manufacturer quotes 
the prices in Table 9, f. o. b. San Francisco. 
Table 9. — PHces of trucks with air brakes and automatic couplers. 
Capacity. 
Description. 
Length. 
Width. 
Weight. 
Price 
f. o. b. 
San Fran- 
cisco. 
Pounds. 
100,000 
80,000 
50,000 
40,000 
80,000 
80,000 
80,000 
All steel trucks 
Feet. 
Feet. 
Pounds. 
22,000 
20,400 
18,000 
17,000 
19,000 
28,500 
28,500 
SS50 
695 
570 
435 
735 
835 
900 
do 
do 
Connected truck 
Flat (wood) 
40 
41 
9 
8J 
Flat with bunks 
