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| Jack Delano photo, Sheldon Springs, Vermont, Sept. 1941 |
I've been doing some additional research on the Missisquoi Pulp & Paper complex at Sheldon Springs. I've featured the mill complex in previous posts HERE and HERE.
I'd gotten as far as laying the track and wiring it on my freelanced ("inspired by") version of the mill. But I've learned enough about the prototype over the last couple of years that my version simply isn't cutting it. The result has is a complete scrapping - down to the open grid benchwork - of my initial attempt.
I'll share more about how this is shaping up in future blog posts.
In the meantime I wanted to share this Jack Delano photo (above) from the Library of Congress website.
This is obviously a second pulpwood handling station (a photo of the other one appeared in a Wordless Wednesday post HERE).
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| The sign next to the shed reads "Engines Must Not Pass This Point". |
Obviously I plan to include some version of this wood unloading station on my revised mill. But this photo actually makes me ask more questions than it answers.
For example, while the wood is obviously being delivered by boxcars (not surprising) I'm a little puzzled by the fact that pulp logs appear to have been debarked. The pulpwood pile is on the other side of the plant from the pulp mill itself - so how did the logs get from the pile to the mill proper?
By the way the reporting marks on the end of the boxcar are CN 511534, making this a member of a very large group of CN single sheathed boxcars. Sylvan and Steam Shack (F&C) both offered resin kits for these cars.
There's clearly an NY&OW gon in the photo linked above. Perhaps that is an ex-NYO&W gon that's being used to shuttle the pulpwood within the plant complex?
Luckily none of these questions need to be answered before I get the basic benchwork, track, and wiring complete in the mill complex.
And yes, that little speck in the lead photo atop the pulpwood pile is indeed an OSHA violation waiting to happen.... <g>!
6 comments:
What a cool photo! And I’m very curious to know how you can possibly know all about that gondola… I didn’t even see a gondola :-)
After reviewing both photos (high resolution TIFFs from the LoC site) I believe the pulp stack is the same one in both photos. Jack probably walked down the line a few minutes and got one before the other. In my mind it's the same pulpwood pile.
Chris,
The gondola is pretty clearly visible in the other photo/blog post I linked to - http://centralvermontrailway.blogspot.com/2020/07/wordless-wednesday-230.html
if you don't see it there you need to get your eyes checked...
Rich,
Thanks for commenting!
I agree it's the same pulpwood pile - there are a couple of tracks shown accessing that pile on both the Sanborn and prototype track diagrams. I see the a person - likely the same guy(?) perched atop the pile in both images.
My real question is about the trackside "sheds" they don't appear in the prototype diagrams I have - I'm trying to determine where they are in relationship to the track.
Hi Marty, Good research on the pulpwood loading site and unloading pile at the mill. I sent you an email on Sunday with a couple photos of the tiny pulpwood operation on my layout.
Bill,
As you know I emailed you back. Thanks for the comment and for sharing the photos of your pulpwood operation - I was especially intrigued at your arrangement of stacks to work as loads or as stacks in the pulp yard. Great idea!
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