32 



TIMBER TRENDS IN THE UNITED STATES 



The longrun downward trend in use of ties 

 largely reflects a decline in railway mileage, in- 

 creased average life of ties resulting from the use 

 of wood preservatives, use of devices such as tie 

 plates and end irons to reduce mechanical wear 

 and splitting of ties, use of welded track, and a 

 shift to diesel locomotives. The abnormally low 

 level of consumption in 1960-62 apparently 

 resulted mainly from deferment of track 

 maintenance. 



Some further decrease in railway track mileage 

 to an estimated 330,000 miles in 2000 is anticipated 

 (table 19). At the same time a moderate rise 

 in the number of ties replaced annually per mile 

 of track appears likely. Thus total crossties used 

 in replacements total about 25.5 million annually 

 in the projection period. Assuming continued 

 construction of new track at the level of recent 

 decades of about 900 miles a year, total demand 

 for ties would approximate 28 million annually 

 over the next few decades. 



In terms of board feet, total use of ties averaged 

 roughly 1.1 billion board feet a year during the 

 1950's (table 20) . Projected demand is estimated 

 at 1.2 billion board feet annually. Use of hewn 

 ties has been decreasing rapidly in recent decades 

 and it is assumed that practically all ties used in 

 the future will be sawn ties. 



Table 20. — Crossties consumed by railroads, 1920- 

 2000 



One-Fourth Billion Feet of Lumber 

 Used for Car Construction and Repair 



Lumber used for construction and repair of 

 freight cars in 1962 amounted to an estimated 

 256 million board feet (table 21). This was 

 markedly below the level of wood use in the 1950's, 

 largely as a result of the limited construction of 

 cars in 1962 and a low level of expenditures for 

 repairs. 



Table 21. — Lumber and plywood and veneer con- 

 sumed in construction and repair of railroad cars, 

 1928-2000 



Year 



Lumber 



Plywood and 

 veneer 





Million 



Million square 





board feet 



feet, Ys-inch basis 



1928 



1,009 





1933 



332 





1940 



545 



8 



1948 



536 



14 



1950-54' 



496 

 335 

 254 





1955-59 1 





1960 



53 



1961 



212 



56 



1962 



256 



53 



PROJECTIONS 



[Million board feet] 



1970 



250 



100 



1980 



250 



100 



1990 



250 



100 



2000 



250 



100 



' Data shown are annual averages for the indicated 

 period. 



Sources: 1928-48, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 

 Forest Service, Lumber Used in Manufacture, 1928, 1933, 

 1940; Wood Used in Manufacture, 1948. 1950-59, based 

 on unpublished reports of Class I railroads to the Associa- 

 tion of American Railroads showing volume of lumber 

 purchases for cars, locomotives, and floating equipment, 

 plus Forest Service estimates of lumber used by car 

 builders. 1960-62, Forest Services estimates, based on 

 dollar value of Class I railroad lumber purchases, use of 

 lumber and plywood by car builders in 1960, and number 

 of freight cars built. Projections, U.S. Department of 

 Agriculture, Forest Service. 



In order to carry anticipated increases in railway 

 freight, it is estimated that increased numbers of 

 new freight cars will be needed. This prospect, 

 along with increased size of railway cars and 

 loading practices that require heavier car decking, 

 appears likely to cause some increase in use of 

 lumber in car construction. Several other con- 

 siderations also favor use of wood, including the 

 ' Data shown are annual averages for the decade. problem of moisture condensation with metal. 





Sawn ties 





Year 



Total 



Cross- 

 ties 



Switch 

 and bridge 



ties 



Hewn 

 ties 



1920-29 1 



1930-39 i_ 



1940-49 I 



1950-59 1. 

 I960.- 



1,639 



1,215 



1,284 



1,101 



721 



609 



680 



1,319 

 1,020 

 1,121 

 990 

 653 

 541 

 615 



320 



195 



163 



111 



68 



68 



65 



1,962 



870 



717 



161 



34 



23 



19 



1961 



1962.. 





PROJECTIONS 



1970 



1,200 

 1,210 

 1,210 

 1,210 



1980 



1990 



2000... 





