There are a collection (maybe 20 cars) of standard gauge, wooden logging flat cars, arch bar trucks... old style draft gear, brake systems unknown, but early possibly going to scrap very soon... On the west coast... remote location...

Does anyone need parts?

Randy

Not like one can run to the store and get these sorts of parts now? I would, if I had the opportunity and a place to park these items, grab them all and use them as trade fodder for equipment/materials more suited to my organization's goals. You might not have that opportunity. Would hope others will indicate an interest.

Could the trucks be rebuilt to narrow gauge dimensions (wood bolster/spring planks)?

Michael Seitz
Missoula MT

Randy-

YES... need some of these parts badly.

Please PM me list/contact info/etc.

Thanks

Matt Bumgarner
Alexander Chapter-NRHS

I am planning a trip to the site tomorrow, and will report back.

These are standard gauge cars, used surprisingly recently, so likely to heavy for narrow gauge... The "collection" also includes a cable car turntable, some steam donkeys and a few narrow gauge parts (hence our interest)

Randy

I'm interested to know what componenets the NG rollingstock are built with.

Like the brand and model of; Couplers, draft gear, journal boxes, journal bearings, axles, spring pedistals, car body bolsters, truck bolsters,

Anyone contacted Cass or Mountain State yet?

There are quite a few of these parts from the original Cass wood log flats down on the deadline by the river. last time I spoke with someone there - their biggest challenge was finding sills of adequate size that weren't thousands of dollars each.

Mike Stillwell
Buena Vista, VA.

A bit more about the flat cars. There are about 30 cars.



The Timber Heritage group purchased 10, the remaining cars were gifted. There are both log cars, with bunks and lumber cars with stake pockets (as well as a couple of odd ball cars mixed in like a home made ballast car and a steel flat). They are stored at the site of a former lumber landing in Eureka CA

These were built for/by The Pacific Lumber Company of Scotia. There are some published photographs of similar cars in use as early as 1910. The company ran log trains in part over the tracks of the North Western Pacific using wood frame cars until 1977. Several of the cars have 1974 rebuild dates stenciled on them.
Condition varies from reasonable, would be willing to move it on its own wheels (not of course on a FRA regulated railroad) to very poor condition.

There is a great deal of variation from car to car, but all have AB brakes… Trucks are a mixed set of arch bar, of several styles, with some Andrews style trucks. I found trucks marked as having 4 ¼ x8 and 5 ½ x 10 bearings… The group believes many of the brasses have been stolen. As best I could tell they all have 33” wheels… I understand that the wheels are a mix of mostly chilled iron cast wheels. The couplers vary, with at least some marked Sharon. There are some split knuckles for link and pins. Size varies a bit. All seem to have spring style draft gear held by wood draft timbers.

The truss rods are mostly if not all double truss rods, with a really nice set of castings used.

The organization that holds them is planning on keeping the best 10-12 along with some of the odd cars (the ballast car for example). They will likely scrap the rest. They would like to get scrap value for the stuff. (they are currently getting about $150 a ton)

They are on a short time line to move stuff (and are making good headway) Originally they had to be out by January 1st, but that date has slipped by at least a couple of months, but it appears there is a hard scrap deadline of about June 1.
The group is mostly loggers with lots of machinery knowledge, and almost no railroad knowledge so if you have a question it should be accompanied by photos.

A couple of observations... There is almost no narrow gauge or narrow gauge adaptable parts available. (there are fragments of a couple of 44” gauge log cars and one 36” gauge wheel set, all spoken for) There is no K brake stuff, all AB.
When these cars were originally built the adjoining NWP was Santa Fe controlled, for most of the time the cars were in use the NWP was SP controlled… There is likely at least some castings or technology (as in truss rods or couplers) from those lines in the piles of stuff.

We also visited their primary site at the Somoa which includes a round house and two machine shop buildings… no track, no turntable (for most of its life the round house didn’t have a turntable) There steam locomotives (two shays, a Heisler converted to diesel) and several rod engines…) are all inside, and show none of the start then abandoned restoration styles so frequently found in sizable locomotive collections. They also on a 0-4-0t a 44 tonner and a large logging rod engine stored in Strasburg PA

More photos at
https://picasaweb.google.com/RandyHees/TimberHeritage?authuser=0&feat=directlink

Randy

I recall that Bay Area (Western Railway Museum) was gifted a wooden flat car in the 1970s by The Pacific Lumber Company.

As I recall, I was told that all the wooden parts were new construction.

According to our collections manual, the car (TPL 530) was built in 1978, but was never placed in service because it failed to meet minimum FRA requirements.

Our historical society would be interested in possibly two of the cars with out bunks and also a few parts. Who do we need to contact?