Thunderbird Yarders, Loaders, and Etc from the Murray's in Eugene Oregon

[JeremyM70]

I am cutting for #38 currently, Have cut for #37 and know where #35 is sitting in my friends yard for sale.
What is the main difference from the TY-80's and 90's??

I see 35 is sitting all by itself as of last Tuesday, the Skagit got sold I assume?

[Hallback]

Yes, The 739 went to Arnold Logging. Username posted about it in the Skagit thread.

[Username]

I see 35 is sitting all by itself as of last Tuesday, the Skagit got sold I assume?

Yep, Ed Arnold bought it for use on the Condit Dam removal project. Took it with the 75' tube for $22,500. Should be at his shop right now, going to be onsite in the near future.

[JeremyM70]

That's good to see the 739 has moved into some work.

[bc_outpost]

I love all these pics. and brochures on these T'birds but where do you get more serious details and specs. on the machines I'm looking into a small clean-up and partial cut yarder and the 40 series seems like the ticket but serious info. is scarse. My main interest is in the TY40 and TMY40 but I can't find any good information on the different options and configurations of these yarders. Any idea on wherennto dig up what I need.

Chris

[Roadswitcher]

Well done on the diagram – I marvel at the capacity of the forum to unearth such scarce/waning data, specs etc of these bygone companies and their products.

From the diagram - yes, for mine, it is a reconfigured ‘70’ drumset with the haulback repositioned to the rear. I’m guessing it was raised a little to accommodate the altered input shaft arrangement.

[furpo]

We use what I call a Squirrel Block to hold the skidding line up out of the way of the processor on the landing, the straw line is used to hold it in place. Using a motorized slack pulling carriage if the line is slack it drapes through the "chute" and can slow the processor down. On this landing the 255 is on a perch about 25 feet higher than the landing.

Serial # 5119 first purchased by Weyco, we are the second owner.

Neat idea, I like it.

How does it work with lineshifts? Do you just take the squirel block off?

[Scott S]

Neat idea, I like it.

How does it work with lineshifts? Do you just take the squirel block off?

If we just flop the skyline over to the next road we leave the carriage and block on. It hard to see from the photo but the block has a really heavy hinge on one side between the two sheaves with a 1" pin holding the other side secured in place with a molly. We lower the skyline, undo the molly, pull the pin and the block assembly is flipped off over the skyline. One man can do it easily.

Our yarder engineer pulls the block up to the tower when drifting the carriage back to help keep line wraps to a minimum, he then lets the block drift back to just over the edge of the landing when the processor is working in the chute keeping the skidding out of the way. When the turn comes in the carriage bumps the block back toward the tower.

[TorkelH]

I love all these pics. and brochures on these T'birds but where do you get more serious details and specs. on the machines I'm looking into a small clean-up and partial cut yarder and the 40 series seems like the ticket but serious info. is scarse. My main interest is in the TY40 and TMY40 but I can't find any good information on the different options and configurations of these yarders. Any idea on wherennto dig up what I need.

Chris

Here is the brochures and some measurements which you probably already have?

[bc_outpost]

Here is the brochures and some measurements which you probably already have?

I had some of this info. but not all so THANKS. It is a start to my quest for more detailed information and specifications. There has got to be some more factory sources and history by serial number out there if one looks or gets help from people who have already been there. So again thank you, Torkel, and thanks in advance to other out there looking into this.

Chris

[Hallback]

My friend Rob Fritzie owned a trailer mount version of the 40. flopped it and sent it back to Madill. IDK who has it now.

[furpo]

Try whoever was the local Thunderbird agent at the time. Down here it was Goughs and they still have all their Madill and Thunderbird service manuals.

[JeremyM70]

Found a TSY255 serial # S5106 over the weekend at Modern Machinery Portland this weekend on the way to Kennedy School McMenamins (great pizza and beer BTW!) So stopped by there this afternoon to ID and snap some pics of it.

[JeremyM70]

Apparently it is in for an engine rebuild as you can see by the big empty space where an engine used to be.

[Hallback]

I have cut for that yarder many years off and on. The Evensons own all their own timber and land around Clatskanie oregon. Great guys to work for.