196 
BULLETIN HI, U. S. DEPARTMENT OE AGRICULTURE. 
The volume of timber in sawed ties when 2.992. 7 by 8 inches by 8 
feet ties are laid per mile amounts to 111.600 feet, and 95.700 feet 
when the same number of 6 by 8 inches by 8 feet ties are laid. At 
812 per thousand feet, the cost per mile for ties is 81.339.20 in the 
first instance. 81.115.-10 in the second. The cost of hewn ties per 
mile ranges from $600 to 8750. 
Ties used in main-line logging railroads last seven or eight years, 
provided a good class of Douglas fir ties is used. Six years is a con- 
servative figure. Ties used in spur roads do not last so long, since 
the operation of taking them up and relaying them is hard on them. 
Spur railroad ties may be used in three or four different locations. 
provided the total period of use does not exceed four or five years. 
Steel rails. — Rails are classified according to their weight in pounds 
per linear yard. They are sold by the long ton. TThile the standard 
rail length is 30 feet, shippers reserve the right to include 10 per cent 
of from 2-1 to 2 S foot rails in a given order. 
Rails varying from 45 to 60 pounds per yard may be observed on 
the logging railroads in the region. Fifty-six and 60 pound rails 
are the more common. 60-pound on the main lines. 56-pound on the 
spurs. Many operators, however, use 60-pound steel on both the 
main line and spurs. 
The use of heavy rails has paid. They depreciate less in use and 
in the lifting and relaying. Furthermore, they can be used with 
fewer ties and on a poorer roadbed than the lighter rails. 
The number of long tons of rails of different weights required per 
mile may be found by multiplying the weight per yard by 11 and 
dividing the result by 7. 
60X11 
=M 
Example : Weight of rail. 60 pounds per yard, then 
tons and 610 pounds. 
The weight in tons of several representative sizes of rails per mile 
is as follows : 
Weight of 
rail per 
yard. 
Weight of track per 
mile. 
Pounds. 
45 
50 
56 
60 
65 
70 
Tons. 
-f70 
78 
88 
94 
102 
110 
Pounds. 
1.600 
1, 2S0 
640 
320 
The following were the f. 
March. 1911 : 
b. prices of steel rails in Chicago in 
45 pounds per yard and down. $27 per ton. 
50 pounds per yard and up, S2S per ton. 
