haulback

noun

1. (countable)A small wire rope or line used to pull the main cable (or butt-rigging) back into position after a log has been hauled out.

   “We ran 3,000 feet of haulback and got only thirty-five logs.”

   “The skyline isn't interlocked with the mainline and haulback, and the mainline and haulback can't both wind the same direction at the same time.”

   “Butt rigging—a series of heavy steel links, swivels, and shackles—commected the main line to the haulback line and carried up to six chokers.”

2. (uncountable)A method of surface mining where overburden (the material on top of the coal or ore) is transported from an area and then hauled back after removal of ore or coal.

   “This includes mining systems R&D such as development of haulback techniques to redeposit overburden material in a beneficial sequence immediately behind the extraction operation to minimize costs and aesthetic and environmental damage.”

   “As a result, haulback systems are being designed in shich the strip mine is continuously filled in behind as the mine advances.”