INCLINES 339 
is opened. The controlling levers arc so arranp;ed that the valves 
(M) can only be opened and closed gradually, thus avoiding 
heavy shocks on the cable. In addition to the hydraulic cylinder 
brakes the machine is equipixnl with emergency ])rake bands and 
wooden friction blocks. The cable and empty cars are returned 
to the head of the incline by an auxiliary steam-driven engine. 
A snubbing device of the above character was operated on a 
4500-foot incline on which there was a difference of 1300 feet 
elevation. The grade on a portion of the road was 50 per cent 
and averaged 30 per cent for the entire distance. 
One car holding 6000 feet log scale, a total weight of about 
20 tons, was lowered with a 1-inch plow steel cable. A greater 
number of cars could have been handled by increasing the size 
of the cable, but since the daily requirements were only 30,000 
board feet, this was unnecessary. 
In a western operation, which had a 20 per cent grade near 
the end of its logging railroad, the problem of lowering cars was 
solved in the following manner: A track was built up the slope 
from the main line to a bench on which a yarding engine was 
placed both for skidding logs and loading cars. A |-inch cable 
was laid along the track from the bottom of the incline to the top 
where it was passed through a block in the rear of the yarding 
engine and then carried down the track to the starting point. 
One end of the cable was attached to the forward end of the 
empty cars, and the other end to the drawhead on a locomotive 
standing on a parallel track beside the empty cars. The cars 
were pulled up the incline by running the locomotive on the 
main line toward the mill which hauled the empty cars from 
the parallel track to the main incline track and then to the summit. 
Signals for starting and stopping were given by blasts on 
the whistles of the locomotive and the yarding engine. The 
speed of descending cars was controlled by the locomotive as it 
slowly backed toward the base of the hill. 
Safety switches were installed both at the top and bottom of 
the incline so that the cars passing up or down could be shunted 
from the main track to a siding before they would meet other 
cars or the locomotive. 
Two loaded cars were handled at one time, the locomotive 
placing two empties at the head of the incline and then taking 
the loaded cars to the mill. This arrangement resulted in a 
minimum loss of time for the train crews- 
