Turn out on fore-and-aft plank road.
When two or more truck units are to be used on a single track, a careful calculation must be made to determine the best passing places. The location of these points may determine the success of the operation. They should be placed so that the truck returning empty can reach the turnout before the loaded one comes along in order that the loaded one may not be held up. At the same time, the turnout should not be so far away from the loading ground that the loading crew will be idle for any length of time while waiting for an empty truck. It is better to have an extra turnout, even if seldom used, than conditions that would hinder efficient operation or might even result in a collision which would tie up the logging for several days.
A few loggers build a turnout of the same material as the main road for a short distance to the side. An illustration of this type of turnout is shown [above]. Most of them, however, simply clear off a right of way and put in a gravel bottom for the road as the waiting truck at this point is empty and will not ordinarily sink into the ground and get stalled. A few heavy planks laid fore and aft in the form of a track are sometimes used. The construction of passing places is very simple—the only important thing to be taken into consideration is the proper point at which the trucks should pass in order to keep the operation going at maximum efficiency.
TELEPHONES
In connection with the passing places, the installation of a telephone line is an important but often neglected item. With two or more transportation units, a telephone line is a handy if not well nigh indispensable accessory. It is a great advantage to have such a system with stations at each end of the road and also at the passing places, as unavoidable delays will frequently allow a waiting truck to move on to another passing place, thus saving time. To avoid accidents, the driver at the passing place should call the loader at the spar tree to see if the road is clear before coming any farther.
Very often something breaks on the yarding or loading donkey. With the telephone, perhaps a half day of shutdown may be saved by calling the main camp for the repair parts and having them brought up by the next truck. The saving due to avoided accidents and the saving of time more than pays for the initial expense of installation. The telephone line should not be neglected at the larger operations.
INCLINES
In rough country the use of the incline has been a great help and has proved to be entirely practical and quite economical. Grades as high as sixty or even seventy per cent can be safely taken with an incline if the proper measures are taken to prevent accidents.