pulpwood on the N&W

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An odd thing about pulpwood shipments -  Pulpwood wasn't weighed andthe rate was based on the number of cords being hauled.  At the destination,an estimate was made (by a professional) of the cords on board.

>From memory, a car of pulpwood loaded at Ferrells Siding, NC on theold NS routed to Weyerhauser at Plymouth, NC (64 miles away) yieldeda little over $20 a car in the 1960s. 

Not bragging here, but one night on Amtrak out of New York, the conductorchecked my pass and a few minutes later, Graham Claytor came and satdown.  We discussed railroading.  He told me that Southern Railway wasseeking to raise finished paper rates, but the paper-makers retaliated. 
"OK" says Claytor, "Southern will discontinue maintenance on pulpwoodcars".   Southern got the increase.  It was pretty well known that railroadshauled pulpwood at a loss to get the profitable finished paper traffic.                                                 Harry Bundy
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