RAILROAD CONSTRUCTION 
295 
In cuts the roadbed must be wide enough to give room for a 
drainage ditch on either side. These will requires about 3 addi- 
tional feet each, and the cut should be about 16 feet at the base. 
They must be wide enough to permit the passage of any equip- 
ment that may be taken over the road. In earth cuts the ratio 
of slope is 1^ : 1 and in solid rock cuts the walls are perpendicular 
or nearly so. 
Main lines are graded up carefully, and suitable ditches main- 
tained. Even on level sections it is desirable to elevate the 
Fig. 99. — Two Methods of constructing a Grade for a Logging Railroad, 
o, main line spur, b, secondary spur. The ditch is cut to the dotted line 
when the track is surfaced. 
track and put in ditches, because of the cheaper cost of main- 
tenance during wet weather. 
Types of main line spur tracks used in southern Arkansas 
are shown in Fig. 99. The earth from the ditches is sufficient 
for ballasting the ties and the grade costs but little except for 
the ditches. 
On spurs a minimum of fill and cut work is done and ditching 
is not resorted to unless absolutely necessary. 
When fills of 2 or more feet are to be made on spur roads, it 
is a common practice to fill the bed of the grade with logs, if 
nonmerchantal)le timber is close at hand, and to i)lace a cover of 
earth over them to give a bearing for the ties. This practice 
cheapens the cost of construction, especially when earth for a 
