I'm sure you could find an example of about every type of operation you wanted.  If the loggers did not live at the logging camp, then yes that would be one way to do it.

Remember that logs would not necessarily be cut down at the railhead, the logs would be cut down around the railhead and  then carried, drug or skidded to the railhead and loaded on the railcars.  The trains would carry the logs to the mill.

I am going to post this into the Operations Forum as well.

Thank you dave1905 for your comments!

Grampy

What time period are we talking about. Operations today are a little different than they were back in the 1930s.

I we are talking 50+ years ago, camp housing was portable, they would set up camp and then lay tracks out to the sites. Workers would ride the empties out to the work site and ride the log cars back in the evening. Some operations had water flues that they would send the logs down, workers would ride those flues back down to camp.They had to feed these guys 3 meals a day, so they had cook cars and bunk cars that they would bring out to the site.

I guess it depends on how big the operation was.

Bill B.

It depends on what logging operations your looking for, and time period.

In Northern WI,  the Rodis Line followed the timbers, laying down track to get as close to the logging as possible.  Hardly any of it was ballasted, the ROW cleared, timbers laid for ties, and rail laid.  These wondered through the woods from camp to camp, and feed a more "main line" track that lead  back to Park Falls, WI, where the mill was, and some products from the mill were loaded on to Soo Line cars for distribution elsewhere.

Mike.