222 
BULLETIN Til, U. S. DEPARTMENT OE AGRICULTURE. 
Largely because of the shape of their holdings and the topography 
of the area, the company had to construct three inclines. These in- 
clines proved very satisfactory. In length they ranged from 4,000 
to 6.000 feet. The grades varied. The grades on the first one ranged 
from 6 to 18 per cent, with the exception of 600 feet of 1J per cent 
grade. In the case of one of the others, the maximum grade was 30 
per cent. While the aim is to build these inclines on a straight line, 
or nearly so. it is not always practical to do so. For example, in one 
case 1,200 feet of the in- 
cline was on a 12 degree 
curve. 
The incline proper is 
constructed as in the case 
of an ordinary railroad 
spur. There is a siding 
for the accommodation of 
empties at the bottom of 
the incline, also at points 
on the incline where the 
lateral spurs, about one- 
fourth mile apart, con- 
nect with it. See figure 70. 
The power is furnished 
by an 11 by 13 inch hoist- 
ing engine of the reversi- 
ble type, which is placed 
at the top of the slope 
(fig. 70). This engine, 
which has a drum capac- 
ity of 12.000 feet of lf- 
inch cable, is mounted on 
a sled and can be moved 
from one location to another in the same way as the ordinary ground 
yarding engine. It has ample power to handle five loaded cars on a 
40 per cent grade. 
When the system is in operation, the lowering line leads from the 
engine, which is placed to the left of the incline, then through a 
block on the lowering car, and thence to a stump or deadman near 
the engine but on the opposite side of the incline (fig. 70). This 
doubles the pulling power of the engine. 
The loaded cars, where the grade will permit, are attached one to 
the other in the usual way. with the head load attached direct to the 
lowering car (fig. 71) by a tag line. Where the grade is steep, the 
method shown in figure 72 is used. The lowering car has a heavy steel 
frame and is 16 feet long. A large compound block (fig. 73), tri- 
FlG. 
*0. — Location equipment and tracks, two-line 
railroad incline. 
