FOREST RAILROADS 279 
side. At curves where the track is likely to spread, braces are 
placed between the rails and also between the outer rail and trees 
or stumps. Poles are held together at the lap-joints and fastened 
to the cross-skids by means of wooden treenails from I2 to 2 inches 
in diameter, which are driven into the ground through a hole bored 
in the pole and skid. Cross-skids are used only on soft ground 
Fhotooraph by H. R. McMillan. 
Fig. 96. — A Pole Tram-road for Summer Use. The poles are removed 
during the winter and the right-of-way used as a sled road. Idaho. 
and are spaced from 6 to 8 feet apart. They are short round 
blocks placed under the rails but they do not extend across the 
track as they would interfere with the foothold of the draft 
animals. 
A crew for building a pole road comprises six men and one 
team. When the poles can be obtained along the right-of-way 
a crew will cut and peel the necessary ones and build 500 feet of 
straight track daily. Curves require about one-third more labor 
than straight track. 
