Thanks, Charles. The structures are actually only one story with ceilings
averaging 8 ft in height. Certainly, the buildings could be used for
operations as well as maintenance, but I don't have that much information.
However, the large number of these stations, ca. 10-12 miles apart, suggest
that most were for maintenance crews, rather than operations.
Mike
In a message dated 12/18/2014 11:09:09 A.M. Mountain Standard Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
I cannot speak to the numbers but from what I have run across, if these
are two-story structures, the crew boss(es) lived downstairs in private
room(s) and the crew workers lived upstairs in a dormitory-like setting. I am
under the impression that bunk houses were used for deadheading train crews,
not construction crews, but I guess they could be used for both. I
would think the structures would be designed for a standard crew size?
Charles
Red River Archaeology
Dallas
-----Original Message-----
From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
[log in to unmask]
Sent: Thursday, December 18, 2014 11:31 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Railroad Workers
Hello Histarchers. I am undertaking some research regarding railroad
workers on the Central Pacific Railroad ca. 1870s-1880s. I have plans for
section stations where buildings designated as bunk houses show the
predominant size being 16 x 24 ft, with perhaps half that number at 16 x 22 ft and
even fewer at 18 x 20 and 18 x 22. Other smaller and larger sizes exist,
but
there are very few of them.
Can someone suggest what number of railroad workers might be housed in
such building sizes? It has been suggested that I might consider that it
takes 6 workers to move a length of steel rail as a starting point, but if
someone has good data on this, I would appreciate hearing.
Thanks.
Mike Polk
Sagebrush Consultants
Ogden, Utah
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