This railroad was a logging road which was built in 1878 west from Alcona westward into the pine forests of Alcona County. The gauge was 3 foot 6 inches. [MRRC] This was not a common carrier railroad.
1878. August 28. The summer logging operations of Jas. Beard & Co., at Alcona, is a local as well as general interest. We visited Alcona and rode over the new logging railway firm of James Beard & Co. Frank Beard the resident member of the firm showed everything about the road and answered all questions. This logging road is one of the best and most substantial in Michigan. Well built and heavily ironed, and the locomotive and cars glide over the same with smoothness like a passenger railway.
We found three 1/2 miles of road in operation but large force of men were at work extending the same, and intended to have another mile built by Saturday night. The locomotive, "H. McMorran," used on the road was built expressly for the road at Potter, Bell & Co. locomotive works of Pittsburgh, PA, and we do not hesitate to say it is an excellent piece of machinery. It's weight is ten ton; size of cylinder 10 x 16 inches; drive wheels 36 inches in diameter. The engineer is certainly practical in his business. He was formally an employee in the McMorran shop and came to Alcona. Fred Beard acted as fireman on the McMorran and he makes a good one, too.
He not only looks well to the fir and the brake, but keeps the engine neat and bright as a new silver dollar. Coal instead of wood is used to make steam for two reasons. First, that no danger of fire communicating with the woods may be had from sparks from the locomotive, and second, because it is a cheaper fuel than wood, costing but 50 c a day to supply the demand for fire.
The wood work on the cars is very heavy and substantially braced with iron rods. The wheels are less in diameter than those used on most other logging roads, about 20 inches, and each car is provided with rubber springs. The cars are also very much longer than those used on Alger & Co.'s roads, being made especially for hauling short logs. These cars were built by the Phoenix Iron Works Co. of Port Huron and are a credit to both the builders and the present owners.
A load of logs constitute nine cars (though many more could be hauled if the road had them); one thousand to twelve hundred feet per each car, and 8-9 trips per day are made. Beard & Co. have determined to cut no more of their pine in long timber on account of the business now being over done and the decline in prices.
Their present tract of pine embraces 25 to 30 millions, all of which will be cut into short logs and hauled to their mill in Alcona and there manufactured into lumber. In our opinion too much of the wealth of this county is being taken away in its long timber. We wish it could all be manufactured into lumber inside of the county limits.
Beard & Co. have so arranged that they can haul their logs directly through the mill or stop just inside the same and roll them off the cars into the boom. The track is extended through the mill to the outer end of the dock so that the cars may be loaded with iron or supplies directly from the boats.
1882. January 18. Mr. Mudge, contractor for Alger, Smith & Co. now has banked over 1 million feet of long timber and short logs in Alcona county. The same are being hauled out from the skidways over the James Beard & Co. railroad, about six trips (seven miles in length) per day being the average work of the locomotive and cars. [BCT-1882-0118]
The firm has in their employ on the road at the mill and in the woods 70 men. David Beard is general foreman of the firm's business. [PHTH-1878-0828]
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