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Logging on the Ffestiniog has been converted from the pre-July 2008 WW&F Discussion Forum.
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jlancasterd wrote:Forum members may like to see the following:
http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/technology-industry/48223-logging-steam.html
http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/technology-industry/48511-more-logging-steam.html
http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/technology-industry/48706-logging-monochrome.html
John Dobson
Editor FR Magazine
James Patten replied:Looks like you need longer flatcars. I must say your brake van was well stocked with lumberman equipment. I can imagine how untidy it got at the end of the day.
Really neat pictures.
jlancasterd replied:Looks like you need longer flatcars. I must say your brake van was well stocked with lumberman equipment. I can imagine how untidy it got at the end of the day.
Really neat pictures.
I'm not sure about longer flat cars - for longer timber we just load it onto two cars at the same time as can be seen in at least one of the photos from day 2. The larch logs shown being loaded on day 1 seem to be the standard length required by sawmills in this country, and they fit nicely onto one wagon. If we had to load really long logs we could use 4-wheeled bolster wagons as disconnects - we have a number of these bolsters, some dating from the 19th century, but they have been semi-retired since we got the bogie flats.
IIRC the bogie flats came from a Ministry of Defence munitions depot that was closing down and are rated at 10 tons each, although they are so solidly built that they should be able to take double that with no problem. They are normally used in pairs to carry rail.
Regards
John
Mike Fox replied:Great shots John. I love the B&W. The Larch you speak of, would that be a hardwood like the oak? Again, great photos.
Mike
jlancasterd replied:Great shots John. I love the B&W. The Larch you speak of, would that be a hardwood like the oak? Again, great photos.
Mike
Hi Mike
IIRC (I'm not an arboriculturalist) Larch is actually a type of conifer and technically a softwood.
(EDIT) I've looked up a reference to British trees and this states that Larch is a deciduous, coniferous tree that grows up to 50 metres high. It has a greyish-brown bark, which falls off in small plates.
I think that this plantation is European Larch, although there is (or was) a small plantation of the closely related Japanese Larch near the line at Tan y Bwlch. This was planted before WW2 and had reached a great height even in the 1950s.
The timber is particularly prized for furniture-making, boat-building, wall-panelling, but has many other uses.
European Larch is a native of the mountains of Europe, introduced into Britain about 1620. I believe that Japanese Larch is a much more recently introduced species.
Stephen Hussar replied:Outstanding! Actually using the railroad!
Excellent images. Thank you for the links.
Stephen
James Patten replied:And now...the Larch (is that an African or European Larch?)
jlancasterd replied:And now...the Larch (is that an African or European Larch?)
Hi James
See my edit to the post two above...
John
Steve Klare replied:James?
Where'd ye get the coconuts?
Ira Schreiber replied:I have offered the WW&F, six disconnects, 2' gauge, which was declined. I will again make the offer, if we are to go in the logging business. Oh yes, they can move rail, too.
Ira
Mike Fox replied:Thanks for the explanation John. I wasn't sure if it was a local name or not.
