200 
BULLETIN 711, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
TOTAL COST OF BLTLDIXG LOGGING BAILBOAD3. 
The total cost of building 4§ miles of logging railroad in one case, 
exclusive of ties, steel, fixtures, and certain other items indicated in 
the following discussion of the cost, was as follows : 
Items. 
Total cost. 
Cost per 
mile. 
§2,012.25 
60.00 
102. 76 
2,295.00 
8, 824. 05 
1,247.57 
5G5. 50 
4, 623. 63 
4, 132. 00 
2,821.50 
6, 223. 66 
S423. 63 
12.63 
21.63 
Clearing right of way. 
483.16 
Labor grading 
1, 857. 70 
Powder grading 
262. 65 
Srringer bridges. . 
119. 05 
Trestles on hill 
973.40 
Trestl°s at sloueh 
869.89 
594.00 
Labor surfacing. 
1,310.24 
Total 
32,907.92 
6,927.98 
Starting at the bottom of the hill, the first 975 feet consisted of a 
pile-bent trestle. Another pile-bent trestle, 2,325 feet long, branch- 
ing from the main line and running in the same general direction, 
is included in the above cost. From the end of the first trestle the 
road passed along a very steep hillside, over one switchback, and 
around an oxbow. From the beginning to the end of the first 2J 
miles of graded track the air-line distance was If miles. The last 
If miles was fairly light construction, the road traversing rolling 
ground which was swampy in places. The maximum curve was 30° 
and the heaviest grade (favorable) was 6 \ per cent. After the top 
of the hill was passed there was an adverse grade of 5 per cent. 
The grade from the bottom to the top of the hill averaged 4 per cent. 
The cost of the engineering and superintendence includes the cost 
of the location and supervision, the salary and expenses of the 
resident engineer, also the salaries of his assistants. 
The preliminary work includes the cost of constructing living 
quarters for the laborers and pile-driving crew, also an office. 
Twenty-five per cent of this cost was charged against the railroad 
construction work. The cost of structures was as follows : 
Material $127.30 
Labor 112. 65 
Total 239. 95 
The total cost of grading tools was $308.29. These tools at the 
completion of the work were transferred to the logging department. 
33^ per cent of their cost, or $102.76. being charged against the 
grading. Practically all of the. grading was done by hand. 
The cost of wire rope used in yarding material along the right of 
way and in driving piling, blocks, hooks, peavies, pike poles, logging- 
