Garth, they still dig up redwood pipes in Chicago.   There are likely hundreds of installations still (mostly) intact.  They are a good (if you can get around the waste and ecological issues) "pipes".  

Wood survives a lot longer in some areas.  Telegraph poles from the 1880s are still to be found around Marshall Pass on the D&RG.   Flumes can also be found in this and other areas.  And the first long distance transmission line was in Western Colorado along the RGS - requiring flumes, poles, cross arms, etc.    Dense old growth wood can stand up to the elements incredibly well, as compared to newer growth wood.

At 10:23 AM 2/21/2020, Garth Groff and Sally Sanford wrote:

Friends,

The idea of these being redwood pipes now makes more sense than spools of wire. Even more sense when I remembered that there once was a factory near Antioch, California on the ATSF that made redwood pipes.Â

And lookie what I found:

https://www.mendorailhistory.org/1_redwoods/redwood_pipes.htm

http://www.sandiegoyesterday.com/?tag=redwood-pipe . This one is big enough to be one of the pipes on the flat cars.

https://www.citylab.com/design/2016/10/san-francisco-1939-worlds-fair-relic-discovered-construction/505076/ Â

Some of these systems endured for years. Although not redwood, you can still see miles of wooden flumes that fed several PG&E powerhouses along the Truckee River between Truckee and Reno from the windows of the California Zephyr. I think those flumes are all dead now, but they were still being maintained into the late 20th century.

Yours Aye,

Garth Groff  🦆

Bob Webber