The following link has some excellent photos of logging railroads and
logging camps, primarily in the Northwest. These are narrow gauge lines,
which is what you'd expect for logging (even here in Kentucky). Some of
the lines mentioned below are standard gauge mainlines, which will vary
substantially from narrow gauge in the amount of associated personnel,
buildings, equipment, capital, length of occupation, etc.. A few narrow
gauge lines back here in the east even used wooden rails for logging
operations and grades that would be impossible on a standard gauge line.
I've seen a photo of a geared locomotive (A Shay, in this case) in use
in Tennessee on rails made of wooden poles, with a grade that looked
like a roller coaster. 

http://www.steaminthewoods.com/RRImages.htm 

-----Original Message-----
From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
Efstathios I. Pappas
Sent: Monday, July 24, 2006 3:57 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Railroad/logging-Tie Hack Camps

  Carl, I have not done anything with Tie Hack camps before although in
my readings on the railroad industry, a few trends seem to be relevant
to your work. I assume you are referring to camps where railroad tie
material was harvested? Very early in railroad history, the procurement
of ties shifted from employing individuals or teams to harvest tie
material to buying from specialized companies or suppliers or the
formation of separate divisions within the company. In any case, as
railroad companies reached corporate maturity, tie procurement became
formalized, systematized, and large scale. For smaller, shortline
railroads, sometimes locally produced ties were purchased from locals on
a piece-rate basis in small quantities which may coincide with the
physical remains you describe. However, these individuals were usually
not directly employed by the railroads most of the time and operated as
independent contractors. Typically, the era of rough/hand-hewn ties
ended in the peri!
 od of ROW renewal following construction as hardwood/treated ties
became desirable to increase longevity, durability, and axle loadings.
On the Central Pacific, this period began as early as the 1870s
following the flurry of construction activity and resulted in the
creation of an entire system within the Southern Pacific for tie
harvesting, treatment, and company-wide shipment. Either way, it was
very big business considering the hundreds of thousands of ties required
per year with a lifespan of barely 10 years depending on conditions. I
hope these musings and observations are of some help! 
 
 Stathi
    ______________________________________________________
 
 Efstathios I. Pappas, MS
 Doctoral Student
 Department of Anthropology/096
 University of Nevada, Reno
 Reno, NV 89557
 (775) 323-5730   
 -----Original Message-----
 From: [log in to unmask]
 To: [log in to unmask]
 Sent: Mon, 24 Jul 2006 9:29 AM
 Subject: Re: Railroad/logging-Tie Hack Camps
 
  Stathi -



Have you had any experience with Tie Hack camps?



If so, what physical indicators were you seeing that indicated it that
was

a tie hack camp?



For exmaple, was there large acerages of stumps at a uniform height
nearby?



Carl Barna

Lakewood, CO









 


             "


 










A



Stathi







______________________________________________________



Efstathios I. Pappas, MS

Doctoral Student

Department of Anthropology/096

University of Nevada, Reno

Reno, NV 89557

(775) 323-5730

   
________________________________________________________________________
Check out AOL.com today. Breaking news, video search, pictures, email
and IM. All on demand. Always Free.