A. R. A. New Standard Freight Another Hish Tribute Paid

Car Requires 2700 Ft. o[ Lumber

Washington, November 23.-Corrdspondence between the National Lumber Manufacturers Association and American Forest Produ'cts Industries on the one_hand, and on the other R. H. Aishton, Chairman of the Board of the American Railway Association and Joseph B. Eastman, Federal Coordinator of Transportation, has brought out the fact that standardization of railway freight cars in no way restricts the present use of lumber in the construction of such cars. Contrary to an impression that got abroad, it is now offi,cially confirmed that individual carriers will conform to the Railway Association's standardization policy in using any or all of the following types:

1. The existing standard single wood-sheathed design, the sheathing serving also as the lining, with wood floors and running boards.

2. The existing standard double-wood sheathed design with wood lining, floors and running boards.

3. The new standard steel exterior design which uses per,car about 1500 board feet of lining, 1000 feet of wood flooring, and 20O feet or wood running boards. This car has steel exterior sides, ends and roof ; and in the interior, wood fl.oors and'wood lining, which in contrast to many cars of existing types, extends solidly from floor to eaves. The metal roof, however, is not wood lined.

Each Railway to Chooee Its Own Type

Under date of November 14, Mr. Aishton writes: "The adoption by the Mechanical Division of the American Railway Association of the new steel sheathed wood-lined box car simply establishes a standard for this type of construction and in no way restricts the production and use of other types if desired. The Committee on Car Construction has not made any ,change in connection with the recommended pra,ctices designs of single sheathed wood sheathed box cars or double sheathed wood sheathed box cars. The choice of a car, therefore, as you will appreciate, lies with the individual railroad, and it is for these reasons the various standards are available for su,ch use as they wish to make of them."

In an earlier letter to American Forest Products Industries, Mr. Aishton says that the rumor that henceforth all new box car rolling stock shall be built of steel super-structure "to standards now before the railroads for consideration and appr.oval", is possibly due to the fact that a press notice concerning five sample box cars recently,constructed for the American Railway'Association referred to them as all steel. "As a matter of fact", he says, "they are not, a very 'considerable amount of wood being used in their construction, sides, flooring, and ends, as you will note from the attached photograph showing the interior view of one of the cars. In addition, they are equipped with wooden running boards. So far as cars of this particular type are concerned, as you no doubt kn,ow, they have been in use for many years, steel outside and wood inside In these sample cars some refinements and improvements have been made in various phases of their construction, hen'ce the resultant publicity."

Association Information Useful

Mr. Aishton adds: "You may be assured that the rail-

To Calilornia Redwood

California Redwood has been chosen for a plaque on which is to be carved a bas-relief of Miss Byrd Mock, authoress of the Olympic Ode. The plaque will be placed along with the Ode, done on fine parchment, in the Olympic archives at Lausanne for all time, in commemoration of the Tenth Olympiad at Los Angeles.

This is another great tribute, not only to durability, but to the beauty and workability of California Redwood.

The piece of California Redwood used for the plaque is of beautiful, satin smooth, Clear Heart Redwood measuring

Piece ol Clear Heart Calilornin Reduood, 24"x24"x2V2", to be caroed and rtIed at Lausanne, Suitzerland., in the Archiues ol the Olympic Games. Donated by Dolbeer & Carson.Lum ber Company through the California Reduood' Association.

24 inches by 24 inches by 2l inches, and was furnished by Dolbeer & Carson Lumber Company, San Francisco, through the California Redwood Association. It has been ient to Theodore Morales of Chicago, a noted Greek artist, who has asked the privilege .of doing the carving. l

The Ode, which glorifies California as "The New Hellas", reviews the history of the development of the Olympii Games from 776 B. C. down to the Olympiad in Los Angeles in 1932.

I Much national and international publicity for California Redwood will result from the choice of this wood for the plaque.' roads have a very keen appreciation of the statements con. tained in the memorandum accompanying your letter, concerning the merits of wood for use in equipment construction purposes. They have used it extensively in the past for this purpose and we have no knowledge at this time as to any change in that policy."

Mr. Eastman explains in his letter that the new standard 50-ton ste.el box car has ,been designed to benefit the rail. roads through reducing the existing variety in steel box car design and construction. He says that there is nothing in the re,commendation which prohibits the use of other materials for box ,cars,.but tha; it does. mean that the new standard design is recornmended to the railroads for the purchasa qf all new steel cars of So-ton cap4city..

Wood Blockg for Schools

Washington, Nov. 21.-The National Lumber Manufacturers Association still has some sets of block samples of the commercial woods of the United States. These 48 samples of as many species are of particular interest to public school classes in natural science, economic information regarding raw material sources, and in woodworking and architecture. The blocks are only large enough to fit into a neat little packing box lV/ax7fu" and 6" deep. The box has a lift top, on the inside of which is a printed key to the contents. Labels on each block set forth the approximate amount of lumber of its species produced annually in the United States, its habit of growth, its general and peculiar qualities, and the variety of uses to which it is put.

As a form of industrial education the samples are sold to schools, museums and other interested agencies at the cost of production including incidental overhead-that is, $1.95 Ior the set. Postage or other shipping charge is additional.

The National Lumber Manufacturers Association, 1337 Connecticut Avenue, Washington, D. C., has found from its experience in a previous offering of these blocks that lumber dealers, millworking establishments, lumber mills, and other business groups are often delighted to receive a suggestion that they purchase sets of the wood blocks for presentation to the schools.