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Pitch Pine and Prop TimberThe Logging Railroads of South Central PennsylvaniaBy Benjamin F. G. Kline, Jr."Pitch Pine and Prop Timber" aptly describes the primary source and ultimate use of the vast amount of timber harvested from the mountain sides of Pennsylvania. A hard pine commonly referred to as pitch pine was considered unsuitable for manufacture into lumber but proved highly useful as props in the coal mines scattered across the state. The major portion of revenue for the railroad logging operations in the south-central section of the state was from hauling this prop timber. This is number one in a popular series of 13 books covering the history of the logging railroads in Pennsylvania — an era which began in 1864 and lasted for 84 years. The variety and size of these railroads was extensive and no other state ever approached the diversity in Pennsylvania. Benjamin Kline along with two other lumber railroad historians, Walter C. Casler and Thomas T. Taber, III, have done exhaustive research on these railroads. In fact, each book is said to represent more than a decade of research. This book covers 35 logging railroad operations in over 12 counties. It is of interest that one of these counties is Mifflin — the Kelp Enterprise connected to the Mifflin & Centre County Railroad at Milroy, as did the Gotshall Operation in Yeagertown. Considering the small scale of many of these operations, the authors found an amazing amount of information. Several general road maps are included, but track plans are missing. The photographs are of good quality on coated matt finished stock paper. The book was published in 1971, but the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania has republished it. The 2nd Floor Bookstore at the Strausburg Railroad carries it at www.strasburgrailroadstore.com. |
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