Creating Lumber Stacks

[chuck geiger]

I want to duplicate these stacks on the new ATSF/BNSF San Jacinto District in Hemet on the Dill Lumber spur. I have looked
at scale lumber, creating scale lumber out of blocks of wood with a pencil, the commercial stacks and wonder what do you
recommend as the best way to replicate this?





Cutting and stacking scale balsa or/and basswood is a real pain.

[davefoxx]

I'd use scale lumber to build the stacks, so you can get that slight variation at the ends and the best look of individual boards in the stack.  That said, you don't have to build it solid (I probably would, though), so you could have small pieces for the ends and only full-length boards on the sides and top.

DFF

[chuck geiger]

Foxey thanks I think that's the best way to go. I think I saw that on here or in a search.

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https://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/40884

[160pennsy]

@chuck geiger You could also try using these lumber loads (RANDOM WIDTH/LENGTH p/n FNL 1006) from Fine N Scale, if you don't feel like making your own.

[Angus Shops]

I’m using Evergreen strip styrene (.010x.020, .030, .040 etc.) to represent 2x4, 2x6, 2x8 etc. in 8’, 10’, 12 etc. lengths using the full length pieces on the sides and tops and short bits on the ends technique suggested above. The plan is to cast them in resin and make MILLIONS of them. Boring work; best done with beer or scotch.

[wazzou]

Don’t forget that there are generally 3-4 occasions of lathe between a generally equal number of layers to add stability to the units.
If you need to know most typical number of pieces per unit in specific sizes, let me know.
It’s likely I can help with that.

[Maletrain]

Were the lath cross members typically used in the 1950s transition era?  From memory (as a kid) I don't think they were in lumber yards, then.  And up to that point in time, lumber was loaded and unloaded by hand, stick for stick, from box cars, wasn't it?  The laths used today seem to be associated with vehicles like fork lifts moving large stacks in one move.

So, anybody know when laths became standard?

[chuck geiger]

The above pictures were from 1985.

[davefoxx]

The above pictures were from 1985.

Chuck,

Are you talking about your two photos in the first post to this thread?  That can't possibly be 1985.  Look at the rolling stock, signage, and automobiles.  That's got to be back in at least the 1960s.

DFF

[Missaberoad]

Were the lath cross members typically used in the 1950s transition era?  From memory (as a kid) I don't think they were in lumber yards, then.  And up to that point in time, lumber was loaded and unloaded by hand, stick for stick, from box cars, wasn't it?  The laths used today seem to be associated with vehicles like fork lifts moving large stacks in one move.

So, anybody know when laths became standard?

As someone who handbombed material for a living at one point in time, you would need some kind of dunnage to hold the stacks together forklift or no forklift.

Tony Thompson has a great series of blog posts with some 1950s photos and drawings.

https://modelingthesp.blogspot.com/2019/01/lumber-on-flat-cars.html
http://modelingthesp.blogspot.com/2019/07/more-about-lumber-loads.html

It includes this 1926 ARA drawing that shows crosspieces every 30 inches.
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[wazzou]

Were the lath cross members typically used in the 1950s transition era?  From memory (as a kid) I don't think they were in lumber yards, then.  And up to that point in time, lumber was loaded and unloaded by hand, stick for stick, from box cars, wasn't it?  The laths used today seem to be associated with vehicles like fork lifts moving large stacks in one move.

So, anybody know when laths became standard?

I think it probably didn't take long once people began to stack like sized boards, one atop another to realize the unit would be more stable if broken up with lathe.
It looks like there are some small gaps in the pictured lumber.

[davefoxx]

I'd bet that it didn't take long for scrap lumber to be used between skids of lumber once forklifts were on the job, because the first time somebody set a skid of lumber down on top of another (or even on the ground), they quickly found that they couldn't get the forks out. 

DFF

[wazzou]

I'd bet that it didn't take long for scrap lumber to be used between skids of lumber once forklifts were on the job, because the first time somebody set a skid of lumber down on top of another (or even on the ground), they quickly found that they couldn't get the forks out. 

DFF

Yes, of course that, but I'm referring to within the individual unit of lumber itself.

[davefoxx]

Yes, of course that, but I'm referring to within the individual unit of lumber itself.

I see what you're talking about now.  Yes, those have to add much stability to the stack.

DFF

[chuck geiger]

Chuck,

Are you talking about your two photos in the first post to this thread?  That can't possibly be 1985.  Look at the rolling stock, signage, and automobiles.  That's got to be back in at least the 1960s.

DFF

Sorry CLIC is from 85. You are correct.

These photos of Hemet were taken in July 1964 by Marty Quaas. In photos 1 and 2 the view is south-southwest and in photos 3-8 the view is north or northeast. The photo locations were determined by referring to 1933 Sanborn Fire Insurance maps and Google Maps. The Google Maps Street View was particularly helpful.

The diagram below shows Hemet track numbers and is from a 1985 Santa Fe CLIC book. Highgrove and San Bernardino are to the left and San Jacinto to the right.