Sawmill reference material needed

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
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I have a space of about 7 feet by 18 inches I’d like to fill with an HO scale sawmill. The Slatyfork complex is nice, but too small. And I have to keep it cheap, so scratch-building is a must. I want enclosed buildings so I don’t have to detail it till I’m 94.

Some particulars: 1930s to late '60s It will be a double band saw type mill with a slip going into a pond. The main mill would be around 200-250 feet long. I want the loading dock / warehouse to be about 200 scale feet long. Kiln and planing sheds would be nice. A boiler house of course.I mainly need to see how these all would fit together in the space i have if anyone can point me in the right direction. Help? Thanks. Dan

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If you do a Google search on “Model Railroad Sawmill” you will find a lot of great information including YouTube videos on how to scratch-build them.

I use McCabe’s sawmill as a reference point. http://www.btsrr.com/millplan.htm

With this in mind, I’m using pictures of the prototype–in my case Union Lumber around 1900 to build a scale down operation. (click to expand)

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Dan,

Walthers makes a lumber mill kit, item # 933-3058. I built one of them a couple years ago. If I was doing another, I would probably kit-bash it to give it additional character, but they are very presentable in their original configuration.

Wilton.

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The mill I got sawdust from in the early 70’s was totally enclosed. It was neither rail or water served, all truck. All you saw was huge stacks of logs, sorted as they were unloaded, eventually moved to the mill by forklift. Never saw wood until wrapped stacks came out of the kiln drying area.

Receiving: Are the logs all coming in via the pond? If so a place for rail dump and truck dump into the pond. If some are direct truck to mill, a place for unloading and scaling (measuring).

First equipment inside would be the debarker. Might have an inside movement method to mix with slabs for chipping for the boiler. Could also be ground and moved outside for sale as bark mulch.

Sawing: A blower pipe to take the sawdust to storage for sale or moved into the boiler for heat.

Slab disposal: Probably ground/blown/stored for the boiler.

Building would probably widen out for the sorting area and movement to the kiln drying section.

Kiln area probably quite a large building.

Boiler would be nearer the kiln than the sawing, as it’s easier to move the fuel and you don’t loose heat with a lot of piping.

Wrapping area, where dried, bundled lumber is wrapped and moved to stacks in open sheds or just outside, until loaded for shipping. If you are a large operation, docks for both rail and truck would be appropriate.

Since I never went through the operation, this is a best guess from what I could see from the outside and going through smaller mills. This particular mill had two rows of buildings, I think product crossed over at the far end. I think when it was moved to the kilns. They were very large steel buildings with a few windows. Actually quite easy to scratch build and giving you an industry with loads of logs in and stacks of lumber out for both rail and truck.

Good luck,

Richard

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Reference material on lumber mills-- (mostly in print)

Carter Lumber Co. office at Camden/later U.S Plywood_RMC_ Dec71 p.35

Crane, overhead for handling logs, Mod RRer Aug66 p.29

Fire hose shed for lumber mill, pix,plans RMC Oct95 p.80

Gerlinger carriers used by lumber industry, manufactured Dallas Business Week Aug 20, 1955 p.104

Kirby Lumber Co Silbee mills Santa Fe Modeler 2Q87 p.8-11

loads, pole for N scale Model Railroader Apr04 p.86

log decks NMRA Bull Aug83 p.26

Log dump, model animation Mod RRer Nov93 p.92

Log loading boom w electronmagnet Mod RRer Nov93 p.92

Log pile at PFI Mill, East Lewiston, Idaho ModRRer Feb98 p.78

log pond at St.Regis Paper Co., Tacoma Washington with "floating bulldozer’ boat handling logs BusinessWeek Aug4,1956 p.42

Log skidder “Big Wheel” in N from O scale popcorn wagon wheels, plans, model article. N Scale SeptOct98 p.26

Log skidder “Big Wheels”, The Loggers (Time-Life Books) p.99

log truck showing method of steel strapping, ad for Acme Steel Business Week Sept 17, 1955 p.147

logging truck, crane lifting logs at rail reload Marvels of American Industry p.58

Logging camp, British Columbia, pix Mod RRer Mar90 p.104

Logging camp structures, Mod RRer July66 p.20

Logging camp, Mormon Lake, AZ

Refrigerator Cars, Ice Bunker 1884-1979 p.71

Logging figures, old time, kitbashed from modern construction workers, Mod RRer Apr88 p.110

Logs, how to model,

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Thank you all for the responses! Everything helps. I probably have some of those references in my magazine collection, and will go through them. I like the Macabe mill, it’s just too small. I can make my kiln and planing sheds much larger. Still, the pictures for reference are great.

I grew up in Coos Bay Oregon, where lumber was the main industry. Boy, I wish I’d had the presence of mind to take pictures then. Mills of every size were running, from shake mills to the mammoth Weyerhaeuser and Georgia Pacific operations. Hmmm, I’ll be there next weekend. I bet I can find some good stuff at the library.

On my mill, I want to set it up as if, as in Coos Bay, many logging operations floated logs down the rivers into the bay, and the mills often pulled them directly from the water. They also loaded ships that way, mainly for export to Japan. I also remember African ships. “Bunga Tembusu” is one ship’s name I remember for some reason.

Question: I bought Walther’s debarker kit. Would that be at the end of the mill up on the floor level where the logs feed in to the band saws? Since the mill will be built over water like the Macabe one, how would the debris be conveyed to the boiler or burner? Thanks again. Dan I’ll post progress…

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My mom lived in Coos Bay for a while, The Union Lumber Co is/was just down the coast from you in Fort Bragg, CA.

Now I’m not saying that the McCabe Mill is right for you, but I think it is close to the right size for your space. If you looked at the photo of the Union Lumber Co you will see that 3/4 of the space is devoted to lumber and that there are rails running all through the finished lumber. If you want to build loads in your mill for outgoing shipments, you need space for finished product.

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The University of Washington compiled over a 1000 photos of logging and milling operations–and trains are an integral part. I found them invaluable.

http://content.lib.washington.edu/clarkkinseyweb/

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Good point, Mouse.

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Debarker would be right where the logs come in, as that is the first thing that happens to them when they move onto the line. The mills I have visited used farm gutter cleaner chains to move the material along. Most have a single continuous chain, with a paddle every 16" to 18". A conveyer chain with two parallel chains and paddles between could be used. Another method would be an auger. I think the single continuous chain is the most common.

Sawdust would be blown through a pipe.

Good luck,

Richard

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There are multiple quality books about Western “large scale” lumbering operations. Some of these books are still available from retailers such as Ron’s Books, and they may also be available to you through your local public library’s library exchange program at minimal cost to you. Books in my library concerning the larger Western logging operations include:

Johnston, Hank Rails To The Minarets (Trans-Anglo Books, 1980); contains a good track plan of the mill at Pinedale, CA

Johnston, Hank They Felled The Redwoods (Trans-Anglo Books, 1966)

Johnston, Hank, Thunder In The Mountains (Trans-Anglo Books, 1968)

Labbe, John T. & Peter Replinger Logging To the Salt Chuck (North West Short Line, 1990)

Polkinghorn, R. S. Pino Grande (Howell-North Books, 1966) Recently re-issued. Contains a good track plan of the mill in El Dorado, CA on page 90. One of my favorite logging RR books.

Schmelzer, Ken Wood & Iverson, Loggers Of Tiger Mountain (Oso Publishsing, 2001)

Spencer, James Reyonier (Heimburger House, 1999)

Stephens, Kent Matches, Flumes, And Rails (Trans-Anglo Books, 1977) Contains a good track plan as well as sketches of the mill at Chino, CA, page 94)

Thompson, Dennis Blake Logging Railroads in Skagit County (North West Short Line, 1989)

Wurm, Ted Mallets On The Mendocino Coast (Trans-A

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Thank you, Bill, and everyone.

Here’s a picture I found on eBay, of all places, for a sound cassette. This is pretty close to what I think I’m looking for. I want the look of the industry being larger than the trains serving it, ya know?

I’ll post progress when it begins[:)] Dan

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I’m leaning in this direction for my layout. I’d rather have lots of product and a switcher building loads.

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You have received about as much information as you can handle about now. I found that doing reserach on logging is as much fun as modelling logging.

I agree with Space Mouse that McCabe is a great way to start.

Here are some pictures of my Logging operations which are still under construction. The last picture is Weed No 1 headed to the mill about 1903

Peter Smith, Memphis