Page 106 - John Anderson

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invented and patented in Sweden in 1867, but was not available in
the US until about 1885.
The railroad through the Notch (and beyond) opened up the timber
resources of the interior portions of the White Mountains.
Lumbermen, taking advantage of the improved transportation, built
their own logging railroads (spurs), which connected to the mainline
tracks. The improved access to markets encouraged lumbermen to
build large steam operated sawmills in the forests and many towns,
now abandoned, were built around the mills. Some towns included
engine houses, stores, charcoal kilns, homes for the workers, and a
school house for the children.

The loggers’ railroad was a temporary installation, often crude and
lacking the construction of a foundation suitable for extended safe
operation. But it didn’t matter that much; the loggers were often using
old equipment, operated at a slow speed and seldom expected to
operate their railroad more than 4 or 5 years. There were exceptions;

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