Having a blast

SwampDonkey · November 23, 2005, 07:56:36 AM

What?!!!! The boss has to keep the operator warm or he'll be whining for ever. :D :D :D :D No wonder the michine was all over the road with all that shivering and shaking from the cold. :D

Some of the boys were cutting hardwood on a high knoll here a couple years ago. That winter we had alot of cold NW wind, most every day. When your sittin up on a loader for 3 or 4 hours straight loading one truck after another it gets pretty frigid in -20 F plus windchill. They said it was the coldest place on earth. I never laughed so hard in my life when they told me about it. :D :D :D Some people mind the cold alot, heck I walk in the woods in winter with just a couple sweeters and wool pants and light gloves with holes. Grant you, walking is alot warmer than sitten. ;) :D

Cold Whimps, that's what they are. :D :D ;D

Paul_H · November 23, 2005, 10:36:23 AM

SwampDunkey,

Move your computer outside for the day the next time it's -20 F and report back to us. ;)

SwampDonkey · November 23, 2005, 10:54:17 AM

:D :D :D :D I have, my Panasonic WINCE computer. ;D

It's still funny. I had to cruise the same dang lot they was freeze'n on :D ;D

Paul_H · November 23, 2005, 11:01:33 AM

If the sight of a metal seat with ice on it doesn't make you think of PrepH then I'm going to have to insist that you move your computer outside. :P

What is a Panasonic WINCE?

SwampDonkey · November 23, 2005, 11:34:11 AM

Forum Link

;D

Paul_H · December 07, 2005, 12:22:46 AM

Things are slow here right now. I have been working now and then.The logging co I was working for is scrapping and auctioning off a lot of their older equipment.For the past few work days,my job has been to drain the lubricants and Diesel out of the machines to be scrapped.An average machine has 60-80 gals of oil in them not including the diesel.

I have worked on two old yarders on a M4A3 carrier(Sherman Tank) this week and it was making me kind of Blue because it is the end of an era here in BC's coast. Those old yarders were built in the 1960's and I worked with some great crews in the late 70's and 80 on those machines.
It really had me thinking back and I found myself thinking alot about my Dad so I called him when I got home.

Dad understands what I'm going through and we had a good talk about the old tank carriers and yarder winches and engines. It's what I did since before I turned 16 and working with small gypo operations meant that we got to do a bit of everything including monkey wrenching the old girls.

Funny how an old hunk of Iron can stir up so many memories and emotions

The second pic has my brother Don (hooktender) on the right hand side with the green shirt and silver hat.I'm in the middle,standing on the log.I was just turning 18 and Don was 21.

We fought like cats and dogs

Dino with his feet up at lunch time. The old tank carrier to the right in the pic is the same type that I have been preping for the scrap steel guys.

5 years after these pics were taken,my logging partner Kevin and I bought the yarder from my dad for $5500.We had a timber sale comimg up the following year as well as a yarding contract with Triple C in the Mamquam drainage.
As we were working on it in the Winter,fixing the tracks and bogies,a couple of older guys were hanging around one day heckling us and running the old machine down.We had enough after awhile and told them that we understood that their wives didn't want them hanging around home but we wanted them to go enlighten someone else because we were about done.

Old Vic laughed and admitted that he wanted to buy the yarder for a sale he had down the Sound.We told him that we weren't interested but he offered $15000.
We talked to my Dad later and he said"take the money and run " ;)

We sold it to Vic and he loaded it on to this barge and headed down Howe Sound.I took this picture because I honestly thought I'd never see it again.
When they finished down the Sound and loaded the yarder onto the barge again,it slid off wile loading and the yarder ended up in 20' of saltwater :-\
Vic collected the insurance and did eventually salvage the yarder and we bought the tracks back for our tank drill.

I guess I kind of got nostalgic this week.I can remember waving at my Dad and that old yarder in the pics above when I was 4 years old and it went by our house on the lowbed with a man up front and one out back slinging phone and power lines.

SwampDonkey · December 07, 2005, 12:38:07 AM

Thanks for the great pics and the story behind them.

Btw, don't most brothers horse around? I guess your older brother gave ya some good thumpin's eh? My younger brother always thought it was his job to sit and tell me what to do. I'de say, ok I'll be waiting for ya to help me. :D :D

Jeff · December 07, 2005, 12:49:27 AM

Let me know if they look like they are goona toss da yarding whistle! ;D I got a bug to be a punk. ;D

Paul_H · December 07, 2005, 01:16:45 AM

SD,
yep,Don used to lay a whupping on me when we were younger but things evened out eventually.Scrapping at work was always taboo so sometimes we had to quit early. ;D

Jeff,
the cabs off of those yarders are long gone.The air chime was always mounted on the top of the cab but I'll have a look and see if there is still a relay on the machine that is left.The other 4 are already cut up and hauled away.
I'll keep my eyes peeled for an air chime.

Norm · December 07, 2005, 07:24:51 AM

Great pictures and stories Paul, please feel free to add more as time permits. It's good memories like those that keep us young at heart.

Tillaway · December 09, 2005, 07:10:27 PM

At the way scrap prices are now I can see why they are keeping you busy. One local family, who's place looks like a scrap yard, has ben cleaning up a bit lately. They hauled to old yarders to the scrap yard and got more money for one of them than they originally paid for it.

Anyway some loggers around here have been up in B.C. kicking tracks on the old yarders for sale up there. The ones down here are too beat up, bigger selection of better machines up there.

Tom · December 09, 2005, 07:13:06 PM

The old Axiom, "The grass is greener on the other side of the fence", must work on National borders too. :D

SwampDonkey · December 09, 2005, 07:35:57 PM

Quote from: Tom on December 09, 2005, 07:13:06 PM
The old Axiom, "The grass is greener on the other side of the fence", must work on National borders too. :D

Tom, I thought your map showed a big red line and a big white open space with a warning about ogres. ;D :D

Tom · December 09, 2005, 07:38:27 PM

It does...... and lions 'n tigres 'n swamps 'n all manner of pestulance. :D

But that's my map and some folks have never seen it. :D :D

Paul_H · December 09, 2005, 07:41:07 PM

I think that there is still a good selection of 009's sitting around up here.There was a guy named Dave Donn from Ontario that came through a few years ago and bought up quite a few to set up as draglines in peat bogs back East and he bought the two that we had.They were both in good operating condition,the one had fairly new tracks and both were equipped with Wichita brakes on the winch(main&haulback)

The three that were scrapped this past week were of the mid 1960's vintage and were equipped with band brakes on the winch and were powered by V12 Screaming Jimmy's. (lots of noise,no action) ;)

Tillaway,
are they still using the big tension skidders down your way?

Tillaway · December 13, 2005, 12:49:49 AM

As in the 009's and the like? The rock pits got allot of them, now we need them back.

Rare few new yarders around, in fact I have not seen one in years. The newest I have seen are some Diamonds that are maybe under 10 years old. Most everything I see dates from the 70's and 80's. I think one outfit has newer yarders but I would expect about a 98 model is the newest I have had working so far. All T-Birds before Madill bought them. I have a Skagit and a Washington working now so that should give you an idea.

Scott · December 13, 2005, 08:19:36 AM

Hey Tillaway, did you ever get a chance to snap a few pictures of any 527 skidders for me? ???

sawguy21 · December 13, 2005, 08:44:14 AM

Paul, those pics are making me homesick. ;D I miss being in the bush.

thecfarm · December 13, 2005, 11:22:59 AM

What a differant way to yard logs!Don't see that around here in Maine.Really enjoy the pictures and the stories.

SwampDonkey · December 13, 2005, 12:54:51 PM

Canadian Air sky crane

SwampDonkey · December 13, 2005, 03:40:10 PM

Paul's got some nice pictures on his website also.

http://www.halraylog.com/

Tillaway · December 13, 2005, 09:45:29 PM

You are going to hate me but I was driving past a 527 about once a week for the past 3 months. They just moved it. Now if I could sneak out the camera I could get some pictures of some really cool stuff.

I will have a helicopter side working in my area in about a month or two. The cutters are working now and hope to be done falling in about 2 months then the ship arrives. A Kaman K-Max pretty unique looking thing. I'm pretty sure there will lots of pictures of that.

Scott · December 14, 2005, 10:57:55 AM

Tillaway if you ever get a chance I'd like to see some shots of a 527 working some steep slopes.
What are the tong towers/ tong throwers you guys have out there? I've seen them on other sites on the net but they just look like a log loader turned into a small yarder to me. ??? The idea of logging tongs being thrown out into an area where guys are working seems pretty risky to me, I think I must be missing something.

Tillaway · December 15, 2005, 12:37:26 AM

No... thats what tong throwers do, out to about 300'. Longer if the slopes steep enough. Some guys throw tongs other throw old truck tires with a bunch of old line (cable) coiled inside for weight with some chokers attached just above. Some throw tongs with chokers as well. And yes, someone is out in the brush setting the tongs or chokers. Its much safer out there than at the landing.

You do not want to be anywhere near somebody learning to throw tongs. The will usually hit the front of the cab a few times, they replace allot of windows, launch them straight up in the air, behind them, and everywhere else in between. Once they get the knack they can hit within a few feet of the target with ease. You can tell if a tong thrower has been around tossing chokers cause they usually lose a few and you might find one up in the top of a tree.

I guess they really go along way. There is a slight chance I may have one working on one of my sales in the near future.

We have at least two logging operators here that have 527's. Niether one on any of my sales. They used one a little on one of my sales last winter but I think it was just to pioneer a road. I didn't see it in the brush. Shovel logging is preferred and on any slope over 35% we require cable yarding. The only time I expect to see one is when skidding distances are real long and it seems I do not have flat spot bigger than 300' on any of my sales. I do have quit a bit of 70% to 90% ground.

;D

I haven't checked but Jewell manufacturing does the tong thrower packages and they do have a cool video. It might be available on the net.

Scott · December 15, 2005, 09:38:19 AM

Thanks for the info Tillaway. I checked out the jewel site but I'll have to look again for the video. These tong towers, do they also yard the logs back in? or are they just used to get the rigging out into the feild? When they train the guys to run these things are there still guys out in the field? I would think that if you ever got hit by one you'd be toast. Any pictures you can get of operations on your sales would be great, the west coast is great logging country, lots of cool equipment out there too.