Last Update:  June 5, 2008
Part 6 of 8  Deep Creek to Buster Camp
and Beyond
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Continue to Part 7,
Locomotive Roster of the Kerry Railroad

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Map of this section of railroad grades covered on this page.
Mystery Camp
A few miles west of the Deep Creek crossing lies a mystery camp and spur.    It most likely belongs to one of the many other logging operations that worked off the
Kerry line.   This camp appeared to have burned in of the fires and mostly scrapped out, with some of the small garbage and artifacts left behind.   A short spur
extended south out of camp and ended where there likely a loading spot.
Deep Creek to Buster Camp
In the general area we found bed frames, misc parts and garbage and evidence of donkey remains.   Most likely the camp houses a repair facility and these were
all broken parts simply discarded on the ground and never recovered when the camp was burned.  Photo: 2006
Main line south of Buster Camp
Between the mystery camp and Buster Camp
While some Kerry grades have been converted over to roads, but one section in particular has remained virtually untouched and hidden since it was abandoned in
the early 1930s.   This is the connection between Deep Creek and Buster Camp.   Before we found this grade, we had no maps indicating how the railroad
connected the Deep Creek crossing to Buster Camp and made an incorrect assumption about where the line ran.   The discovery of this several mile hidden grade,
solved the mystery.
These pictures show the pile remains of a burned trestle, myself next to some discovered artifacts and other artifacts found along the grade.  Photo: 2008
Picture showing a particularly well preserved section of ledge grade and a stump cut during the Kerry days and later burned, probably in the same fire that wiped
out this railroad in the early 1930s.   Photo: 2008
Matt holding up some mystery piece of metal with more on the ground.   Two right photos show the jumbled remains of a spark arrestor, most likely for a donkey.  
Photo: 2008
More artifacts found on the grade, including spikes, tie plates and other pieces.   Photo: 2008
An interesting find was this cable wrapped around this stump.   Most likely a tie down for a donkey that later broke.   Photo: 2008
Trestle remains long the southern spurs mainline.   Photo: 2006
Technically the Kerry Railroad mainline ended at Buster Camp with all other branch lines extended out of camp being logging spurs, but there was one major
spur that lead south out of camp that would essentially be the mainline for a huge network of southern spurs.   This is the last area that was logged before fires
wiped out the operation.
Branch lines west of Buster Camp
Deep Creek Trestle
There are still several pilings that remain of Deep Creek Trestle.   We still need to return and survey the area more carefully, but it appears that the Deep Creek
trestle may have been a twin trestle, allowing the main line to head directly west and a branch line (or possible a second mainline) to head southwest.  These
pilings are part of the southwest trestle.  Photo: 2006
Buster Camp
Some of the artifacts that were found at Camp Buster.  Most of these were well hidden and took a lot of looking to find.  They were left behind.  Remember, theft of
artifacts from a historical site is a crime!   Do not plunder these sites!   Photo: 2006
A number of branch lines extended out of Buster Camp in all directions.   On one spur west of Buster Camp, we found what we believe is the remains of a spar pole
that is now collasped and a half buried and broken brake wheel.   Photo: 2008
This huge cut defied the maps.   Reading the topography maps, I couldn't figure out where a branch line south of the camp exited the hills until we found this
huge cut, which answered the question.  Photo: 2006
The thick brush and trees make it very hard to depict where the camp is, but in the 1920s, this was actually a railroad yard with huge buildings and dozens of camp
houses.   Photo: 2006
Buster Camp is the crown jewel of the Kerry operation.  Although little remains today, it was the center of logging operations for the Kerry Timber Company and
the base of operations during the peak logging years during the 1920s.   The camp was caught in the fire that destroyed most of the southern Kerry branch lines
and ended operations here in the early 1930s.   A road allowed access to the camp and it was likely salvaged by truck in the 1930s and 40s, but some pieces were
left behind, today buried under dirt, ballast rock and brush.
Some of the grades around Buster Camp.  Some of these were possibly coverted into early truck roads in the 1940s but have since been abandoned for many
decades.   Photo: 2006
An interesting assortment of spikes.  These were all found found near a very long deep cut.  The first shorter spike mostly dates from the construction of the cut
using light gauge rail for hand carts.  The two other spikes were either used in different eras or reflect the nature of logging railroads, where any old parts that were
available were used, especially on temporary spurs.    Photo: 2006
Remains of a spur off of the southern mainline.   This was likely a converted into an old truck road, which was then abandoned.  Photo: 2006
Remains of another trestle along the southern mainline.   Photo: 2006
Some of the artifacts found along the southern mainlines.   Photo: 2006
More trestle remains.  Photo: 2006
More remains, including an old burned stump with spikes a spark arrestor and trestle bolts as shown by Matt Wolford.  Photo: 2006
Spikes left in place, possibly the remains of a rotted tie and a rail joiner.  Photo: 2006
A rare find among spark arrestors.   Appears to be a nearly fully intact locomotive spark arrestor, probably abandoned during the winter months and never reused.  
The thin metal, but large size of the spark arrestors made them less popular to the scrappers which these can still be found in the woods.   Photo: 2006
A couple artifacts found in the same area as the spark arrestor, including this bolt and brick.   Heavy brush made it hard to search the area for more.  Photo: 2006
Southern Spurs
Remains of a spark arrestor as found by Matt Wolford.   Photo: 2007
Most of the souther spurs were later converted into logging roads and some are still in use today as major access roads, so little was found in the of artifacts due to
the ease of access to the area.   Modern logging did churn up a few things, including this jumbled pile of sheet metal, which we aren't sure what it was and a old
cable that a modern snag picked up and lifted off the ground.   Photo: 2007
A few sections of grade were fairly well preserved.   Photo: 2007
A well preserved shackle hook left behind on this stump.    Photo: 2007
A axe cut cable hold, most likely from the railroad logging days.   Photo: 2007