402 



TIMBER RESOURCES FOR AMERICA'S FUTURE 



service with a decreasing number of freight cars in 

 service. This has been done by increasing the 

 average capacity per car, by increasing the aver- 

 age number of cars per train, and by increasing 

 average freight train speed. It is possible that 

 some future reductions in loading, unloading, and 

 switching time might be attained, but even so, it 

 appears likely that there will be some increase of 

 cars in service — perhaps to about 2.5 million by 

 1975 and to around 3.0 million b^^ 2000. Average 

 annual replacement requirements (on a 30-year 

 basis) would be about 83,000 and 100,000 respec- 

 tivel3^ Making further allowance for exports, 

 production of new freight cars in 1975 is estimated 

 at 85,000 and in 2000 at 110,000. 



Applying the above estimates of average lumber 

 content per car, the lumber required for building 

 new freight cars would amount to about 128 

 million board -feet in 1975 and 154 million board- 

 feet in 2000. 



With regard to consumption of lumber in the 

 maintenance and repair of freight cars (including 

 freight-car grain doors), data are available, for the 

 years 1933, 1940, and 1948, on the total volume 

 of lumber consumed for building new cars and for 

 maintaining and repairing those in service. Know- 

 ing the number and types of new cars built during 

 those years, and the approximate volume of lum- 

 ber per car, it is possible to derive rough estimates 

 of the volume of lumber apparently used for main- 

 tenance and repairs, per car in service: 136 board- 

 feet in 1933, 227 board-feet in 1940, and 170 

 board-feet in 1948."^ The differences in these 

 figures are not unreasonable. Maintenance of cars 

 undoubtedly was at a low ebb in 1933. In 1940, 

 on the other hand, some 13,000 old cars were 

 rehabilitated and put back into service."* The 

 estimated 170 board -feet per car used in 1948 is 

 probably somewhere near the normal requirement 

 of recent ^^ears. 



As time goes on, more of the older freight cars 

 will be taken out of service. In general, these 

 older cars contain more wood than newer cars. 

 It is therefore to be expected that the per-car 

 average volume of lumber required for mainte- 

 nance will decrease somewhat. On the basis of 

 that supposition, the repair and maintenance esti- 

 mate for 1975 is 160 board-feet of lumber per car, 

 and for 2000 it is 150 board-feet. The estimated 



■" Based on the following estimates of lumber consumed 

 in million board-feet: 



Year : Total New cars Car repair 



1933 332.0 5.2 326.8 



1940 554.8 93.8 451.0 



1948 536.4 182.9 353.5 



U. S. Forest Service in cooperation with Bureau of the 

 Census. Wood Used in Mamtfacture (1933, 1940, and 

 1948). Washington, D. C. 



"* This is the difference between number of new cars 

 delivered and number of cars installed in service, ^ee 

 American Railway Car Institute, Railway Car Fads 1955, 

 p. 1. New York. 1956. 



1952 lumber consumption for freight-car main- 

 tenance and repair (including grain doors and car 

 rebuilding) was 354 million board-feet. By 1975, 

 about 400 million board-feet of lumber may be 

 required, and by 2000 about 450 million board-feet. 



Buildings and Other Structures Provide Third 

 Important Use 



Lumber is used b}^ the railroads in construction 

 and maintenance and repair of bridges, trestles, 

 grade crossings, station buildings, and of railroad- 

 o\vned wharves, warehouses, grain elevators, and 

 stock yards. "^ The Class I railroads used 490 

 million board-feet of lumber for these purposes — 

 and for bridge ties — in 1944."® With bridge ties 

 excluded, the requirement was probably in the 

 neighborhood of 450 million board-feet. Later 

 estimates are not available. 



However, the general trend in volume of lumber 

 used for railroad structures since 1944 is indicated 

 by the number of bridge and building carpenters 

 employed in "maintenance of way and structures." 

 In 1944, some 15,017 carpenters were so employed 

 by the Class I railroads. 'Ry 1952 that number 

 had decreased to 13,791 and by 1955 it had de- 

 creased to 11,754."'' Presumably, these men 

 spend their time on construction and maintenance 

 which involves fabrication of lumber and other 

 wood products. They do not work on freight 

 cars nor do they lay ties — except, perhaps, in 

 bridges. Consumption of lumber in maintenance 

 of railroad buildings and other structures would 

 logically be proportional to the force of carpenters 

 employed. That supposition leads to the infer- 

 ence that the railroads probably consumed about 

 400 million board -feet for these purposes in 1952 

 and about 350 million board-feet in 1955. 



Looking to the future, it is reasonable to expect 

 some decrease in use of lumber for these purposes. 

 More treated lumber will undoubtedly be used in 

 all structures exposed to the weather and there 

 may be some substitution of other materials such 

 as ph^Avood. By 1975, 250 million board-feet may 

 be used for construction and maintenance and 

 repair of railroad structures, and by 2000, 300 

 million board-feet. 



Projections of Railroad Demand for Lumber 



Adding together the estimates of 1952 lumber 

 consumption by railroads, developed above for 

 ties, freight cars, and structures, the total con- 



"5 Construction of railroad buildings and other structures 

 done by contract is included in the estimates of nonresi- 

 dential construction. 



"« Unpublished report submitted to the Office of Defense 

 Transportation, claimant agency for railroads in the War 

 Production Board. 



"' U. S. Interstate Commerce Commission. Statistics 

 for Railways in the United States (ann. issues 1944 and 

 1952); Transport Statistics for the United States 1966. 

 Washington, D. C. 



