142 LOGGING 
tending at right angles to the track for a maximum distance of 
100 feet. The logs usually are brought to the rear of the 
skidway and rolled toward the track, leaving a clearance of 
approximately 10 feet between the first log and the rail. Logs 
are seldom decked more than four high as it is more economical 
to place new skids than to spend time in decking. 
A form of skidway for transferring logs from skidding devices 
to railroad cars is shown in Fig. 27. The skidway is built crib- 
fashion of merchantable logs which are loaded and hauled away 
when the job is completed. The skidway should be high enough 
so that the top of the load on the car does not come above the 
level of the skids, thus facilitating hand loading. The skidway 
is made long enough to permit several cars to be loaded at once. 
Where power loaders are used, skid ways often are merely areas 
along the track from which the brush and debris have been 
removed so that the teams can deliver the logs. In a flat region 
where plenty of space is available the logs are seldom decked. 
It is unnecessary to have logs arranged parallel to the track or 
placed on skids since the loader can pick them up readily at 
distances not exceeding 100 feet.^ If there are steep slopes near 
the railroad, logs are often hauled to the edge and rolled down 
by gravity, forming a "rough and tumble" skidway. This pro- 
vides a large storage area and reduces labor in handling the logs. 
Since power loaders can readily pick up logs several feet below 
the level of the track the logger can locate his railroad without 
reference to loading sites.- 
Special landings or yards are not necessary on many operations 
where power skidders are used. Thus, power skidders having 
a loading device, load logs as they are brought to the railroad, 
and the only improvement necessary for loading is a cleared space 
around the machine which will enable the loaderman to manipu- 
late the loading boom. Overhead and snaking systems often 
are of this character. When the logs are not loaded by the skidder, 
they are decked up in piles along the track parallel to the roadbed, 
no special base being prepared. Such a procedure is followed 
with some types of snaking and slack-rope skidders. 
On the Pacific Coast logs formerly were loaded chiefly by means 
of the "gin-pole" which required the construction of a landing 
built along the railroad track on which the logs were ' placed 
1 See Fig. 105. ^ See Figs. 26 and 102. 
