Washington Tl-6 Trakloader

[trakloader]

Here is a 1968 WASHINGTON IRON WORKS TL-6 TRAKLOADER. They still call it a Trakloader even though it rides on rubber. It is equipped with a hinge type heel boom with a wood "snorkel" to extend its reach. Top speed is about 10mph. in high range. It could also be used for short yarding to about 400ft. Powered by a 250 Cummins engine. Almost all the controls are air, and this thing has a whole bunch of little Williams air cylinders and air pots everywhere!

[bigblueox]

thats awesome!

[Hammer 99]

Neato :{

[2stagefanWI]

Wow! What an awesome piece of old iron, back when cables were used instead of hydraulics and logs were used as boom extensions!

[qball]

i do believe i would be scared to run that.

[alleyoop]

That look like a old Crown Zellerbaugh mac. from down around Lady Smith i have built a lot of the for crown Was used for right of way logging worked good .That one looks like it might not travil any more with the tow bar.

[Contract Logger]

I have some great TL-6 Pics- and all the original sales literature from Washington (a good friend worked for them). I owned a 208Dfor a short time and will round up some pics of that as well..............

[Contract Logger]

A couple of TL6 pics, including a new machine with the Canadian boom version.

[2stagefanWI]

Oh man, those are some great pics Contract Logger- great in action pics! But the first two pictures have a bit better lookin machine than the last one :D. Are the pictures of the same machine from different dates?

[Contract Logger]

No, all different machines. Washington built around 250 of these-- i know someone who has the build lists with S/N, build date, and who it was delivered to. These things are rusting all over the NW, Canada, and 8 in Alaska that I know of.

[Contract Logger]

Here we have a yarder/loader working in a dredging application- and doing agreat job I might add!

[2stagefanWI]

Wow, these are sweet pictures. Thats such a cool old machine... too bad there arent any here in WI, it would be really great to see one in person!

[Contract Logger]

This belonged to a friend of mine who was logging at Kake in the 1990's. His partner was killed on it (hit a powerline at the shop) so he towed it out the road and there she sits. Boom was cut off and scrapped 5 or so years ago, engine and trans were pulled off, then the road was pulled out. Now its walk-in only, andin big Alaska bear country- not good. Saw it from the air several times, finally hiked in.

Yes, there were bears harrasing me all the way in.

[2stagefanWI]

Thats quite the story, funny ive never heard of a road being abandoned here in WI, but im sure the rough weather you get up there can make it look like a road was never there. But it seems as though the Trakloader is holding its own still against the elements. Thats a sad story about the operator and the machine though :(

[Contract Logger]

Thats quite the story, funny ive never heard of a road being abandoned here in WI, but im sure the rough weather you get up there can make it look like a road was never there. But it seems as though the Trakloader is holding its own still against the elements. Thats a sad story about the operator and the machine though :(

The machine is on Native land, but US Forest Service roads lead out to it. The USFS cannot afford to maintain the roads, so they pull out all of the culverts, bridges, etc, making the right-of-way impassable, even by four-wheelers, etc. Its a shame. Roads should be treated like an asset, but instead they are seen as a liability financially by some, so it makes sense to eliminate/close them by that rationale.........

[2stagefanWI]

It seems like thats how everything in todays world goes, anyone can sue anyone for anything and they do it just for the money and dont care whether its morally right or not. If someone slips and hurts themselves on a patch of ice on the walkway in front of my house, i'm liable for it... its pathetic.

[trakloader]

I have some great TL-6 Pics- and all the original sales literature from Washington (a good friend worked for them). I owned a 208Dfor a short time and will round up some pics of that as well..............

The one in my pictures was originally a Weldwood machine, and I have the serial # on file. If I dig it up, could you tell me the D.O.B.?

[trakloader]

That look like a old Crown Zellerbaugh mac. from down around Lady Smith i have built a lot of the for crown Was used for right of way logging worked good .That one looks like it might not travil any more with the tow bar.

The tow bar is for pulling it up steep hills, since you can't push it with all the overhang at the rear. This machine actually flipped up on its back climbing a hill once, but happily, they were able to pull it back down before it went over sideways.:eek: