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LOGGING 
They are fastened to the crossties and to each other by wire 
spikes. The top rail must be of some wood that will not splinter 
readily, such as beech and hard maple. Sometimes the rail is 
also covered with strap iron to prevent wear. The lower rail 
may be made of an inferior grade of timber such as wormy oak. 
The rails are spiked to round crossties from 8 to 12 inches in 
diameter and 7 feet long, which are cut along the track and are 
Fig. 98. — A Stringer Road in the Appalachian Mountain Region. 
spaced from 18 to 24 inches apart on main lines, and from 24 to 
30 inches on spurs. The gauge is 3^ or 4 feet. 
The cost of maintenance of a stringer road in constant use is 
high because the rails sliver badly and break, requiring such 
frequent repairs after the first six months that the road must be 
practically rebuilt in two years. 
The cost of constructing stringer roads, exclusive of the value 
of the timber used, ranges between $800 and $1200 per mile, 
but if many bridges are required the cost is higher. 
Geared locomotives are used, the weights varying from twenty- 
five to thirty tons on main lines and from fifteen to seventeen 
tons on spurs. Larger ones are too heavy for a wooden track. 
A light-weight, 2-truck, 8-wheeled skeleton car is preferred for 
