NRLDA Finds New Method of Lumber Looding

By Robert B. Brown, Moteriqls

Hondling Direcfor, Notionql Refoil lumber Deqlers Assn.

As the result of the NI{LDA-NL}IA Test program to improve the shipping of rrnitizecl lumber in boxcais, there have been sone developments u'orthy of note. probably the most im1>ortar.rt of tl'rese, ancl the one that may har,,e the most far reacl-ring elTect, rvas the rrnloacling oi u,hat is believecl to be tl-re first unitized boxcar of lumber in 'lr'hich the rrnits u'ere 2 feet rvicle.

This car was recently_ received by the Stirling l_umber Company, wholesale dealers, in tl-reii main yard il V"rorr". Pa. It had been loacled by Pack River Tree-Farm pro<lucti Company at the Northwest Timber Company mill following the_principles cleveloped by J. W. X{iCricken, I-eech- burg (Pa.) Lumber Company.-

Mr. McCracken has - developed a system that embraces the complete handling of lumber from the final qlaner of the mill to delivery on the jobsite. The ,,Mc_ Cracken S-ys!ep" ev-en includes a comparatively simple mathematical formula that enables invintory tit irrg ^Uy little more than a look at a stack of lumber t6 aet"rfiirrL the length.

_ Undoubtedly, tl-re most significant feature of the ,,N{c_ Cracken S1'stem" is the faci'that lumber unitizecl in the proposed fashion can be easily unloaded from a boxcar rvitl-r a 6-{oot -cloor_ opening usir.rg a 4,000-1b. capacity fork truck equippecl with an end loader or a boom attlcl-rrnent.

The McCracken units are a norninal 21,, g,irle ancl l0r, liigh. He feels that these small rrnits will be the answer to the mill's problem of loacling mixed cars having a larqe variety of ite*s i' the car. He has u,orkecl otrt lo:r-rlirg c1[_

Donville'Rebuilding' Town

I)anville, Calif.-Other California communities mav hire the likes of Frank Llo1'cl \\-right to give theniseh.'es satellite-age looks, says The San Fra]rcisco lixaminer, but lJanville-celebrating its l00th birthclav this year, plans to turn back tl.re-clock to the clar-s of '.19. After a. meetine- of city fathers, Chamber of Comnrerce President Dr. Thomas W. Ohlson said. ,,\\re plan to re-do the outsicle of every brrilcling in tou-n to recreate the atmosphere of the Old \\rest iir California. It u'ill be a commirnity-wide elTort, rvith evert. group participating. It shoulcl make Danr.ille a must-see attraction for tourists. \\Iithin easy drive <if San Francisco Bay-, they'l1 have a pioneerlvesterrr rown ro see; thel- u'on't have to drive up to the Sierra golclfielcls for a glinrpse of early California."

g'rams r,r'hich show that 150 clifterent units of this size coulcl be loadecl ir.r a boxcar.

l\f r. NlcCracken stated : "Although these units seeln \.ery sn.rall, there is nothing .that rvill pievent users of the larger fork trucks frorn I'randling as ri'rany as their truck. oiitt carry. Tl-re fact tliat these can be shipped using the lighter steel str-apoilg, wire, or pressrlre serisitive tipe. or "u,ith pieces of light plywoocl oi hardboarcl stapled on the errds to elirninate arry baurls, shoulcl not be or-erlooked bv all Iurrrber irrterests."

The test car contained 110 units, 30 X,I of 2x4's from 8' to 16' in lengtl"r. The .trrrits \\'ere strapped with l x .012 steel strapping or-eciually light rvire stiapping. Tlie most unusual feature of the loading r,r,as that ^f/ iou,els u,ere rrsecl as u'it diviclers i' place of the r,rsrrai flat stock. This