Help identifying artifacts spotted along logging railroad corridor

[1HappyHiker]

A few days ago, I did some purposeful poking around on the west bank of the Zealand River on a segment located a few tenths of a mile south of the Ammonoosuc River. This was the northern end of the corridor for the old Zealand Valley Railroad.

A few artifacts were spotted, as seen in the snapshots below. I think the object(s) shown in the first photo is possibly barrel hoops that have become unfastened, and thus no longer form a circular hoop. Would this seem like a reasonable guess?

Regarding the object shown in the next photo, I have no idea as to what it might be. Any thoughts by anyone? In retrospect, I should've put something like my trekking poke next to it so as to provide some point of reference as to size. Regardless, I would guesstimate that the upright portion that is showing is maybe about 6 inches in height. Perhaps the diameter is about 8 inches or so. This object was spotted in an area where charcoal kilns were known to exit. And so this possibly might have had something to do with a kiln?

Also spotted in my travels in this area were sections of railway track. No photos are necessary since we all know what that looks like! However, if anyone is interested in seeing the rail track, there are a couple photos posted at my BLOG.

 

[Chugach001]

I see lots of metal bands like photo #1 around old mining sites. My guess is that it's just random something. #2 looks like thick gauge steel so I guess that it's a section of vent/chimney sort of pipe.

 

[Ridgewalker]

#2 looks like thick gauge steel so I guess that it's a section of vent/chimney sort of pipe.

My thoughts exactly, otherwise I'd say a bucket.

 

[Becca M]

For the part shown in the second photograph, could you tell if there was a bottom to it? I am wondering if you could tell without moving the object? (I try not to disturb objects like this, but I was wondering if you could tell by looking down into it).

 

[1HappyHiker]

Chugach001; Ridgewalker; Becca M: Thanks for posting your thoughts about the objects in my photos.

For the part shown in the second photograph, could you tell if there was a bottom to it? I am wondering if you could tell without moving the object? (I try not to disturb objects like this, but I was wondering if you could tell by looking down into it).

Yes, I know exactly what you mean about NOT disturbing relics that are found in the woods.

To answer your question, I don't know specifically if the object in the second photo had a bottom to it, but my suspicion is that it did not. I'm still kicking myself for not taking more time to assess this particular object. I fully intended to go back to it and do some better guesstimates on measurements + make some other determinations, such as whether it had a bottom. However, I got distracted by looking for bricks from the kilns and forgot to double-back to the metal object shown in the second photo. I think I can find it again, and will likely go back at some point in the future.

 

[RoySwkr]

Metal bands are used for wooden pipe as well as barrels, that in #1 may be a bit thick maybe a section of sled runner?

#2 could be a section of pipe or boiler if constant dia

 

[Chip]

Not an artifact, per se, but there's actual rail along Little River;

 

[1HappyHiker]

Roy: Thank you for your thoughts . . . much appreciated!
Until you mentioned it, I never considered the metal band-like material as possibly being a sled runner. That could well be it! It really didn't closely resemble a barrel hoop, but that was the only thing I could think of.

And regarding the cylindrical object made of heavy-gauge metal, I agree with you and others who speculate that it most likely was a metal part which was made specifically for the kiln, such as a vent pipe of some sort.

Chip: Isn't it amazing to see that piece of rail sticking out of the bank along the Little River! I've also come across that same piece of rail, and even included a snapshot in one of my older Blog reports from a few months back.

You might already know this, but I'm guessing that is a remnant of the logging railroad that existed from about 1893 to 1900. From the Twin Mountain area it ran southward along the Little River for about 6.5 miles.