224 BULLETIN 111, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
Fig. 
-Hoisting block, two-line rail- 
road incline. 
matically release and pick up the line when the lowering car passes 
that point. 
The operation of this system is as follows: The friction on the 
hoist is released and the weight of the lowering car takes the line to 
the bottom of the grade, except 
where the grade is slight. Over 
such grades the car propels itself 
by means of its gasoline engine. 
The lowering car is attached to 
the empties, and the hoist pulls 
them up the incline. The lateral 
spurs being reached, the hoist is 
stopped, and the empties are 
dropped on a siding where the 
locomotive operating on that spur 
can get them. When the cars are 
loaded a locomotive takes them to 
the point where the spur joins the 
incline. The hoisting car is then 
lowered, as before, and is used to 
pull the loaded cars up the grade 
past the switch and upon the in- 
cline ready for their trip down the incline. 
When operating the 4,000-foot incline, which had a maximum 
grade of 17 per cent, four cars scaling 32,000 feet were lowered at 
one time, and it was felt that 40,000 
feet would not have constituted an 
excessive strain on the engine or 
line. The company, however, made 
a practice of lowering only three 
loaded cars and taking back six 
pairs of empty trucks, since their 
operation did not demand that more 
loaded cars be handled at a trip. It 
never took more than 10 minutes to 
lower the three loaded cars. Dur- 
ing the time this incline was in use 
no cars were derailed or logs lost. 
In the case of the 6.000-foot incline, 
which had a maximum grade of 18 
per cent and a 12-degree curve, 
26.000.000 feet of timber was lowered without a derailment. On 
this incline as many as five cars, or 50,000 feet, were lowered at a 
trip. In the case of the 4,800-foot incline, which was laid on a 
Fig. 7-L — Hoisting block (top plate 
detached), two-line railroad inclino. 
