Logging Flat Cars?


N

NIevo

Member
Anyone have some good pictures or info about logging flats used in the Pacific Northwest and possibly other parts of the country? Most look like they were built out of normal 40' and 50' flatcars.

I know most were of Union Pacific and Northern Pacific heritage but any other road names? Did Burlington Northern convert any?
 
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There are logging flat cars used in a lot of places in the country. Here's an example from SCX territory ;http://www.csx.com/?fuseaction=customers.search_car&n=Long+Log+Flatcars. Some from Alaska: http://www.alaskarails.org/fp/flats/CD-log-flats.jpg. Or how about an NS model: http://www.krunk.org/~joeshaw/pics/ns/flats/logflat.shtml.

Logging flats were everything from a standard 40' to 60's foot flat with some stanchions to hold the logs in place up to custom built skeleton cars like the ones in the second picture.

There are basically two different type of logs hauled by mainline railroads. The first is pulpwood, and that is the vast majority of traffic. These are logs that will be used in the paper industry and the only thing that's important is getting them to the mill - the condition of the logs doesn't really matter. Railroads use just about anything, including old bulkhead flats and former trailer train flats, for this traffic, since the profit per ton is low.

The second kind of log traffic is those bound for lumber mills. These are higher quality confers and hardwoods. Timber companies have strict specs on how they want the logs loaded and transported. The logs are generally shorter then pulpwood logs and they are stacked more carefully since damage to the logs reduces the amount of usable timber. There's a good picture of this type of car at http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/ssam35492.jpg. Timber log hauling is much more profitable to railroads so you'll see more custom built cars that are only used in timber service.

If you're hauling pulpwood, almost anything that will hold the logs together to get to the plant will work. Timber logs require specialized cars and loading methods. I'm no expert on the logging industry. These are just my observations from seeing timber operations in California and pulpwood operations down here in Alabama. I'm sure there are others who know a lot more than me that will correct any errors I've made.
 
Milwaukee Road had a TON of them used in the PNW that were 40ft converted from old boxcars. NP I am sure did the same and most of theirs were 42ft and 50ft cars. GN also had a variety of them and also in 42ft and 50ft lengths. As far as I know BN never did any spcific type of class of rebuilds. However, they did take some old boxcars and cut the roofs and sides off of them and stuck 4 bunks on them. I dont remember ever seeing any of these on the mainline. I am sure these were branchline service only. I have a picture of one of these said "hacks" on a siding on the Camas prarie sub. If you would like a picture of this car send me a PM.
 
The ones I am modeling were prior to the "hack" jobs they did. They were all 40' and 52' Flats the BN converted as far as I know. Here are a couple pictures

bn53log1.jpg


bn634262175.jpg
 
LoudMusic said:
Why do I see so many logging trucks in southwest Washington and very few logging rail cars?
Click to expand...

It could be that the distance between where the log was cut and where it will be delivered. It may simply be quicker, cheaper, and easier to ship by truck then by rail.
 
LoudMusic said:
Why do I see so many logging trucks in southwest Washington and very few logging rail cars?
Click to expand...

There are alot of reasons for this. The proximity to where the tree are felled in relation to the track probably being the most obvious. Would the timber company fall the trees, yard them to the deck, load them onto a logging truck, then unload them from a truck, onto a train at some loading location, then off to a mill?
Most mills are relatively close to the location of the timber operations. Mills may be built near rails, which is why one sees so many center beam flat cars hauling building materials, lumber loads, etc.
Most timber operations in the US run on between 40 and 80 year cycles, and clear cuts are not as large as they used to be, expecially not in California. You cant move rail lines like that, log floating operations down rivers is a mostly abandoned practice for alot of regualtory reasons.
Railroads need volumn to be profitable. Timber operations in the US today not reaching the volumn they did back in the timber hay days.

It is a boom and bust industry, right now it is in a bust cycle...I know, I live in a timber county, and it gets depressing.
 
Stma

St Maries River Railroad just quit hauling logs. They had something like 500 log flats. Most were made out of 40' side dump gondolas ( at least thats what I was told). They have AFS Ride Control 50 Ton trucks (thanks to this site I know this). I have tons of pictures if anyone is till interested. I am custom building these out of special ordered flats. It was hard to find a 40' car with the correct sides. Only two of these cars remain.
 
LoudMusic said:
Why do I see so many logging trucks in southwest Washington and very few logging rail cars?
Click to expand...

It depends where you are. Most of what I see on the PNW line across the street from my house is logs. Some days logs going both ways even.
 
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