Skyline carriages come in many different sizes, shapes, and consturction. Some are very simple, merely providing a point to hook the logs on to for the trip in to the landing. Others provide mechanical slack-pulling capability from the mainlines. Others have small diesel engines in them to provide power to a drop line. Some clamp to the skyline when stopped. Others remain unclamped, but hold position through counter tensions of the mainline(s) and haulback line.

Below are shown several examples of skyline carriages in use around the world.

		Eaglet Radio Controlled Carriage Slack pulling capability provided by small engine powering the drop line
		This slack-pulling carriage is having a sheave changed in the field. From the men standing next to it, you can see it is a big piece of equipment. It has three drums on a single axle inside of it, visible from the left end. The mainline (middle line on the left) and the skidding line (rolled up on middle drum and not visible) are over-wound, while the slack pulling line (lower most line on the left) is under-wound). Slack-pulling is powered by the yarder, unlike the Eaglet above. The top most line, passing thru the two large sheaves is the skyline. Since is not haulback line attached to the carriage, this is a shotgun skyline.
		Austrian Husk 2000 Self Propelled Carriage
		Mechanical slack-pulling carriage used in a shotgun configuration from a portable tower yarder. Note the smaller size compared to the second carriage onthis page.

A very good WWW link to give you mor einformation on carriages is at

http://www.aone.com/~robert/iron26.html