Men working in a granite stone quarry.
Though this first photo is
of men working in a granite stone quarry, the stone used on the Big
Shanty, Buffalo, Bradford, & Pittsburgh RR grade was from local
hillside quarries that consisted of sandstone. Some of the stones
could weigh up to 2 tons each and it was not an easy task bringing
them down to the grade. In the photo, you can see a “Stiff Leg
Derrick” with a bull wheel. The “Stiff Leg” would lift the
large stones and the bull wheel would be spun around by a team of
mules. It would then be placed on sleds and dragged or be picked up by a quarry stone
wagon under the large wheels.
