Forest railway

A forest railway, forest tram, timber line, logging railway or logging railroad is a mode of railway transport which is used for forestry tasks, primarily the transportation of felled logs to sawmills or railway stations.

In most cases this form of transport utilised narrow gauges, and were temporary in nature, and in rough and sometimes difficult to access terrain.

Before the railway was invented, logs were transported in large numbers from the forest down rivers either freely or on wooden rafts. This was not without its problems and wood was often damaged in transit, lost in floods or stranded in shallow water. Suitable rivers were often unavailable in mountainous terrain.

Simple wagonways, using horses and wooden rails, were used from the 18th century. However the invention of the steam locomotive and steel rails soon led to these being employed for forestry. However the difficult terrain within forests meant that narrow-gauge railways, which took up less space, were lighter and easier to build and enabled tight curves to be laid, were preferred. These were the so-called forest railways. In particularly large areas of forest or forests of unusually large trees, such as in the northwestern USA, extensive forest railways were even built using standard gauge exclusively for forestry tasks. Special geared locomotives such as the Shay and Climax locomotive were developed for high tractive effort on rough track. Some forest railways became common carriers when cleared forest land was converted to agricultural or recreational use.

In cases where the railway itself was considered very short-term, or the region was extremely difficult to access, logs would often be laid into the ground as a pole road, rather than the cost and logistics of laying steel rails and sleepers. Pole roads could be extensive; several examples in the southeastern United States extended up to 20 miles (32 km) at the end of the nineteenth century, and used purpose-built steam locomotives.^[1]

In addition to steam traction, diesel and petrol-driven locomotives were also used later on. These largely brought animal-hauled transportation to an end on the forest railways. Also common were routes that just used gravity. Wagons loaded with wood would simply roll downhill in a controlled fashion under the pull of gravity. Foresters also travelled on these, at some risk to their lives on occasions – as brakemen. Empty wagons were hauled uphill again by horses.

From the second half of the 20th century forest railways were threatened by road transportation and by the end of the 1960s they had practically disappeared from western Europe. Roads were often laid in their place on the old trackbeds.

In a few Eastern European countries forest railways survived longer, particularly in Russia where there are still some today. In Hungary too there are several forest railways in active service today, some are also used for tourist traffic. The numerous forest railway operations in Romania were closed, with a few exceptions, by the 1990s. In Western Europe there are very few which are even preserved as museum railways.

In Asia and Oceania (Australia and New Zealand) the history and fate of logging tramways/forest railways is similar to Europe, with most lines either converted to motorised truck transport or closing down in the 1960s. Significant numbers of locomotives and other remnants of the former lines are found in museums and museum railways in Australia.

Railway name	Route	Rail gauge mm	Length km	Traction	From	To	Operated by	Remarks
Bavaria
Reichswald Forest Railway	Sebalder Reichswald							dismantled
Ebersberg Forest Railway	Ebersberg							dismantled
Ruhpolding–Reit im Winkl State Forest Railway	Ruhpolding-Reit im Winkl	1000	23		1922	1936/37		dismantled
Spiegelau Forest Railway	Spiegelau-Finsterau	600	100+		1909	1960		dismantled
Zwieselau Forest Railway	Zwieselau-Buchenau	600	14,5		1930	1958		dismantled
Bächentalbahn	Fall	750	~ 10					crosses border (see Tyrol)
Brandenburg
Schorfheide Forest Railway	Schorfheide, Döllnkrug-Höpen	600
Rhineland-Palatinate
Wasgau Forest Railway	Bundenthal-Rumbach	600	14,5		1921	1930		dismantled
Saxony
Muskau Forest Railway	Weisswasser-Bad Muskau	600	50+		1895			Museum Railway

Railway name	Route	Rail gauge mm	Length km	Traction	From	To	Operated by	Remarks
Burgenland
Dörfl Forest Railway (WbD)	Dörfl	600	9,4		1924	1933	WbD
Großmürbisch Forest Railway (WbG)	(Alsörönök-) border Großmürbisch - Reinersdorfer Bach	760	~7,5		1935	1937	WbG	4 km in Hungary, dismantled
Großpetersdorf-Rumpersdorf Forest Railway (WGR)	Großpetersdorf - Rumpersdorf	760	~13,5		1920	~1933	WGR
Güssing - Rohr im Burgenland Forest Railway (WGR)	Güssing - Rohr im Burgenland	760	~27,0		1913	1921	WGR
Güssing - Neuberg im Burgenland Forest Railway (WGN)	Güssing - Neuberg im Burgenland	760	~14,0		1913	1921	WGN
Lockenhaus Forest Railway (WbL)	Lockenhaus	600	14,9		1926	1956	WbL
Punitz Forest Railway (WbP)	Punitz - Punitzer Gemeindewald	600	~9,0	Horses	1905	~1933	WbP
Lower Austria
Haselbach Forest Railway	Nähe Fahrafeld: Forsthaus - Hochwiese	600	~2,5	Gravity, oxen, petrol-driven locos	1915	1918	BMF	dismantled
Forest Railway im Klauswald (WbK)	Klauswald, near Puchenstuben	600 ?	4,5		1930	1937	WbK
Langau - Lackenhofer Höfe Forest Railway (WbLL)	Langau-Lackenhof	1000	~ 6,7	Horses	~1845	1867	WbLL
Lunz-Langau-Saurüsselboden Forest Railway (WbLL)	Lunz am See - Langau - Saurüsselboden	700	12,2	Diesel	1920	1974	WbLL	Forest railway with limited public passenger services, dismantled
Lunz-Langau-Saurüsselboden Forest Railway (WbLL) branch	Langau - Lackenhofer Höhe	700	~6,6	Diesel	1920	1974	WbLL	Forest railway with limited public passenger service, dismantled
Forest Railway Nasswald	Schwarzau im Gebirge, Nasswald	600	0,6	Diesel, accumulator	1985			Museum railway, new line
Wastl am Wald - Hühnerkogel Forest Railway (WbW)	Wastl am Wald	600	~ 3,9		1934	1945	WbW
Forest Railway im Weinsberger Forst (WWF)	Martinsberg-Gutenbrunn - Berglucke	760	~35,9		1920	1933	WWF
Upper Austria
Offensee Forest Railway (WbO)	Offensee, Steinkogl - Steibachl	800	13,9		1899	1954	WbO
Offensee Forest Railway (WbO)	Steibachl - Obere Moosau	800	1,6		1899	1954	WbO
Reichraming Forest Railway (WbRr)	Schallau-Maieralm-Hansigraben	760	16,5		1920	1971	WbRr
Reichraming Forest Railway (WbRr)	Maieralm-Unterweißwasser	760	13,0		1920	1971	WbRr
Reichraming Forest Railway (WbRr)	Reichraming -Hintergebirge	760	32,7	Diesel	1920	1971	WbRr	Forest railway with limited public passenger services, dismantled
Salzburg
Zinkenbach Forest Railway (WbZ)	Zinkenbach, Lagerplatz Hundsleiten-Königsbachalm	700	6,7	Diesel	1921	1967	WbZ	no passenger traffic, dismantled
Styria
Deutschlandsberg Forest Railway (WbD)	Deutschlandsberg - Freiland bei Deutschlandsberg	760	9,9	Steam			WbD	no passenger traffic, dismantled
Deutschlandsberg Forest Railway (WbD)	Kupper-Bärental	600	8,5	Steam			WbD	dismantled, link between Freiland and Kupper with 3.1 km long cable car (dismantled)
Deutschlandsberg Forest Railway (WbD)	Kupper-Hofbauer	600	9,4	Steam			WbD	Forest railway, no passenger traffic, dismantled
Frauenwald Forest Railway (WbF)	Steinhaus am Semmering- Rettenegg	600	22,0	Steam	1902	1958	WbF	Forest railway with limited public passenger services, dismantled, with two inclined lifts
Frohnleiten Forest Railway (WbF)	Frohnleiten-Traninger- Rossstall	760	12,4		1925	1951	WbF	dismantled
Frohnleiten Forest Railway (WbF) branch	Traninger- Dionys	760	5,6		1925	1951	WbF	dismantled
Gundersdorf Forest Railway (WbG)	Gundersdorf, Dampfsäge- Höllein	760	4,0				WbG	dismantled
Ingering Forest Railway (WbI)	Ingering -Seeboden	720	~10,5		~1885	1938	WbI	dismantled
Radmer Forest Railway (WbRa)	Hieflau-Radmer-Neuhaus	830	~14,0		1920	1967	WbRa
Radmer Forest Railway(WbRa)	Hieflau-Radmer-Neuhaus	900	~14,0	1200 V DC	1967	1979
Trieben Forest Railway (WbT)	Trieben - Lager Seyfried	800	~ 10,8		1900	~1939	WbT
Tyrol
Klammbach Forest Railway	Achenkirch	760	6,6		1914	1960		Klammbachwaldbahn
Bächental Forest Railway	Bächentalbahn	750		10,2	1930	1956		see also Bavaria

• Abreschviller Forest Railway, remains of a once extensive forest railway networks in the Vosges, museum railway
• also the Voies Ferrées des Landes a group of short lines built primarily to serve the forestry industry in the Landes forest
• The Forest Railway Welschbruch, built and used while the German Empire ruled Alsace, was used to carry wood logs down to the valley of Barr

• The Lagos Ibadan Railway is an extensive railway network that passes through a forest.^[2]

(all lines on the Polish eastern border from north to south)

• Forest Railway from Płociczno - Bryzgiel (from 1923)
• Forest Railway from Czarna Białostocka (from 1919)
• Forest Railway Hajnówka, Museum Railway
• Bieszczady Forest Railway

• Hronec – Čierny Balog Forest Railway (Schwarzgranbahn), museum railway
• Vychylovka Forest Railway, museum railway
• Považská lesná železnica

• Ohsabanan, Värnamo, Småland, active forest railway and tourist trains

• Almamellék Forest Railway, tourist trains
• Csömödér Forest Railway, active forest railway and tourist trains
• Debrecen Forest Railway, tourist trains
• Felsőtárkány National Forest Railway, tourist trains
• Gemenc State Forest Railway, active forest railway and tourist trains
• Mátravasút, (Gyöngyös) tourist trains
• Kaszó Forest Railway, tourist trains
• Kemence Forest Railway, tourist trains and narrow gauge museum
• Királyrét Forest Railway, tourist trains
• Lillafüred Forest Railway, tourist trains
• Mesztegnyő Forest Railway, (forest railway ceased 1999) tourist trains
• Nagybörzsöny Forest Railway, tourist trains
• Pálháza Forest Railway, tourist trains
• Szilvásvárad Forest Railway, Szilvásvárad, tourist trains

• Viseu de Sus, Wassertalbahn, active forest railway used for forestry and tourism
• Covasna - Comandău Forest Railway, with cable car, museum operation under construction

• Alapayevsk narrow-gauge railway, passengers and tourist trains
• Apsheronsk narrow-gauge railway, active forest railway used for forestry
• Belorucheiskaya narrow-gauge railway, active forest railway used for forestry
• Kobrinskaya narrow-gauge railway, active forest railway used for forestry
• Konetsgorskaya narrow-gauge railway, active forest railway used for forestry
• Kudemskaya narrow-gauge railway, passengers and tourist trains
• Loyginskaya narrow-gauge railway, active forest railway used for forestry
• Nyubskaya narrow-gauge railway, active forest railway used for forestry
• Lundanskaya narrow gauge railway, active forest railway used for forestry
• Oparinskaya narrow-gauge railway, active forest railway used for forestry
• Pizhemskaya narrow gauge railway, active forest railway used for forestry
• Sharya Forest Museum Railway, passengers and tourist trains
• Udimskaya narrow-gauge railway, active forest railway used for forestry
• Zelennikovskaya narrow-gauge railway, active forest railway used for forestry

A logging railroad describes railroads, pole roads, tram roads, or similar infrastructure used to transport harvested timber from a logging site to a sawmill. Logging railroads vary in gauge and length, with most forested regions of the world supporting a railroad of this type at some point.

While most railroads of this variety were temporary, it was not uncommon for permanent railroads to take their place as a complement to logging operations or as an independent operation once logging ended.

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (June 2020)

• Englewood Railway

• Emery Lumber Company railway, Greater Sudbury^[3]
• Stone Lumber Company railway, St. Joseph Island^[4]

• Shaw Logging Railroad

• Springfield Railway^[5]
• Weymouth and New France Railway^[6]

• Ferrocarril Cazadero la Torre y Tepetongo
• Bosques de Chihuahua

• Almanor Railroad
• Arcata and Mad River Railroad
• Bear Harbor and Eel River Railroad
• Boca and Loyalton Railroad
• Bucksport and Elk River Railroad
• California Western Railroad
• Camino, Placerville and Lake Tahoe Railroad
• Caspar, South Fork and Eastern Railroad
• Diamond and Caldor Railway
• Diamond Match Company
• Feather River Railway
• Fort Bragg and Southeastern Railroad
• Goodyear Redwood Company
• Gualala River Railroad
• Lake Valley Railroad
• Madera Sugar Pine Company
• McCloud Railway
• Mendocino Lumber Company
• Metropolitan Redwood Lumber Company
• Michigan-California Lumber Company
• North Pacific Coast Railroad
• Oregon and Eureka Railroad
• Pacific Lumber Company
• Rockport Redwood Company
• Santa Cruz Lumber Company
• Sugar Pine Lumber Company
• Usal Redwood Company
• West Side Lumber Company railway
• Yosemite Lumber Company

• Carson and Tahoe Lumber and Fluming Company

Railway name	Route	Rail gauge mm	Length km	Traction (GS=Direct Current)	From	To	Operated by	Remarks
Maine
Bald Mountain Railroad	Jackman	1435			1915	1926		dismantled
Calais Railway	Calais - Woodland	1435	33		1835		Pan Am Railways	freight only
Carry Pond and Carry Brook Railroad	Moosehead Lake - Seboomook Lake	610	3		1914	1916		horse-drawn flat cars; dismantled[7]
Eagle Lake and West Branch Railroad	Eagle Lake - Umbazooksus Lake	1435	21[8]		1927	1933		transferred log drive pulpwood between river basins; dismantled[7]
Franklin and Megantic Railway	Strong - Bigelow	610	48		1884	1935	Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad	dismantled
Phillips and Rangeley Railroad	Phillips - Rangeley	610	46		1890	1932	Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad	Victorian resort passenger service; dismantled
Ray Lumber Company	Bowerbank Township	1435			1912	1929		dismantled
Rumford Falls and Rangeley Lakes Railroad	Rumford - Kennebago	1435	75		1894	1936	Maine Central Railroad	dismantled
Seboomook Lake and Saint John Railroad	Seboomook Lake - Baker Branch Saint John River	1435	29		1919	1929		dismantled[9]
Somerset Railroad	Bingham - Moosehead Lake	1435	81		1890	1933	Maine Central Railroad	Victorian resort passenger service; dismantled
Wild River Railroad	Gilead - Hastings	1435	16		1891	1904		dismantled
New Hampshire
Saco Valley Railroad	Mount Carrigain	1435	11		1892	1898		dismantled
Sawyer River Railroad	Sawyer River	1435	14		1877	1927		dismantled
Success Pond Railroad	Berlin - Success	1435	42		1893	1906		dismantled

• Alamogordo and Sacramento Mountain Railway

• Oregon, California and Eastern Railway
• Oregon, Pacific and Eastern Railway
• Sumpter Valley Railroad

• Argent Lumber Company

• Cass Scenic Railroad State Park

• Chehalis Western Railroad
• Mosquito and Coal Creek Railroad
• Siler Logging Railroad
• White River Lumber Co

• Cepu Forest Railway

• Alishan Forest Railway

• Yakushima/Arakawa Forest Railway
• Kiso Forest Railway

• Powelltown Tramway, Victoria
• Tyers Valley Tramway, Victoria
• Timber railway lines of Western Australia

• Ellis and Burnand Tramway, Ongarue
• Brownlee Tramway, in operation from c.1881 through to 1915

• Field railways (see: Feldbahn) for the transportation of rural produce; also originally for military use as well
• Harbour or port railways for loading and unloading goods within a port
• Industrial railways for transporting goods from factories
• Hallig railways for transporting coastal defence materiel.
• Bush tramways in New Zealand, see West coast trams in New Zealand
• Light railway
• Military railways (see also: Heeresfeldbahn) for transporting military supplies and troops
• Mining railways for ore transportation
• Tramway (industrial)
• Wagonway
• Rail transport

• Manfred Hohn, Waldbahnen in Österreich, Verlag Slezak 1989, ISBN 3-85416-148-4
• L.Reiner/H.Beiler/R.Sliwinski, Die Spiegelauer Forest Railway, Ohetaler Verlag Riedlhütte 2005, ISBN 3-937067-14-0
• Friedemann Tischer, Die Muskauer Waldeisenbahn, Verlag Kenning, Nordhorn 2003, ISBN 3-933613-63-9

• Overview of forest railways in Slovakia
• Photos from the Spiegelau Forest Railway today Archived 2013-08-10 at the Wayback Machine