Alaskan Logging Equipment, Left to Rust

[truckdoctor]

DR Oliver thanks for the job offer. If it wasn't for the fact that I'm working at a Caterpillar dealer , I would take you up on the offer. Since I have been at the dealership I've learned to think about heavy equipment recycling in a new way. Caterpillar offers a certified rebuild program for their equipment. Basically they take an older piece of iron replace all the components,wiring,hoses,etc. The hard components like the cab and frame are repaired and updated to current specs. It is also done at the fraction of the cost of new. It would be nice to take some of those machines up there and certify them to five them a second chance. I know the frustration of dealig with theives. A few years ago I was asked to go into an old placer mine in the California foothills and survey the damage from the tweakers going in there looking for scrap or the overlooked piece of machinery. The grandson of the mine owner was trying to restart the mine after ten years of dormancy. The mine was set up well with a really nice trommel and a set of sand screws. There were also three excavators, a 3512 cat generator, and other support equipment. The sad part was theae jerks went in and litterally ripped the radiators and oil coolers out of these machines. The generator was the worst. These butt cracks had cut all the windings out of the generator and removed the radiator. This guy is asking me I the equipment is repairable and how much it's going to cost. I couldn't give an optimistic answer. I told him flat out that the yellow iron would be possible to get running but the quarter million dollar heart of the operation was a loss. It would take more to repair the generator than it was worth. It sucks that a few selfish stinky orfices of the human anatomy can't keep their hands off someones livelyhood. Just because it is sitting does't mean it is free to a new owner. Please understand I am not trying to create more anamocity, I just realize that unfortunately there are people out there who only care about their immediate gain at someone elses expense. I will try to do my part tosave these machines on my end but I know I won't save them all.

[stuvecorp]

As others have said, wow it's just sad looking at all this iron. Thanks for sharing. I also think the loss of jobs and the benefit for our economy is huge. The other thing is with all the new rules there is never a chance any of this will ever work again. What is wrong with our country?

[Yellowdog]

i know it's an older thread but wow... what a shame. Why not scrap the machines where they sit and make a land train hauling out the pieces? I guess it's hard to imagine the distance to the nearest recycle yard.. but what a waste of iron. I was amazed there was still air in some of the old truck's tires.

[Redwood Climber]

i know it's an older thread but wow... what a shame. Why not scrap the machines where they sit and make a land train hauling out the pieces? I guess it's hard to imagine the distance to the nearest recycle yard.. but what a waste of iron. I was amazed there was still air in some of the old truck's tires.

We don't need to put the old iron on a train.......we need to put the politicians who slit the throat of the working man on a train..........to the gallows. It is way beyond a shame what has happened here.

Many of the pieces of "junk" iron you see here are still in working order, it just doesn't have any work available. Some is beyond repair, much of it would need some work, but if the timber were available, and the markets were there, you'd be amazed at how much of it would be fired up and headed out.

For every large tower scrapped, it's gone, no one builds them anymore. We will kick ourselves if we scrap it all.
The Chinese cannot supply us with wood. We grow it like crazy here..........let us log.

[Yellowdog]

Yes, put the environmental whackos in the recycle bin with any junk that can't be used.

[akroadrunner]

Yes, put the environmental whackos in the recycle bin with any junk that can't be used.

If the environmentalist found themselves short of toilet paper, they would put a gun to your head and tell you to start cutting trees down.

[JTL]

I doubt that runner. I don't think they use toilet paper, have you ever smelled a big group of them?
Their stink will bring tears to yer eyes!!!

[akroadrunner]

I used old iron for a playground when I was a kid in the logging camp. My Dad had a 2 axle dump truck behind the house, on the south side. I would sit in that thing and read books when it was chilly outside. The sun shining in the windows warmed it up nice. I would do my reading in the passenger seat. My books were stored in the glove box. When I got bored with reading, I jumped in the drivers seat and 'ran it through the gears'. I remember asking my Dad why I couldn't get it into every gear. He did something. Can't remember if he moved the truck a little or rolled the engine over, but I had all the gears then. He showed me how to double clutch. I was 6 to 9 years old when we lived in that camp. I was sad when he sold the truck.
Guess what I do now. I drive a Kenworth end dump. Haha.

[KrayzKajun]

I used old iron for a playground when I was a kid in the logging camp. My Dad had a 2 axle dump truck behind the house, on the south side. I would sit in that thing and read books when it was chilly outside. The sun shining in the windows warmed it up nice. I would do my reading in the passenger seat. My books were stored in the glove box. When I got bored with reading, I jumped in the drivers seat and 'ran it through the gears'. I remember asking my Dad why I couldn't get it into every gear. He did something. Can't remember if he moved the truck a little or rolled the engine over, but I had all the gears then. He showed me how to double clutch. I was 6 to 9 years old when we lived in that camp. I was sad when he sold the truck.
Guess what I do now. I drive a Kenworth end dump. Haha.

its a shame, most kids now cant even get an auto tranny to move. LOL my uncle had an old dump in his yard when we were kids, we put many make believe miles on that truck every summer.

[jamesn]

yellow dog, i agree what ashame. lotsa money out therre in old equip.

[JMJ_D31]

Man I would love to have one of those old trucks. Especially the one with the low-boy hooked to it.

Thanks for sharing.

[gordo1boys]

Looking to buy kenworth heavy duty rear suspensions in some pictures in alaska. any help with where the old wrecked weyerhauser bone yard is near ketchikan?

[johnson]

It would be cool if someone would make a map of abandoned logging camps and places where you can find abandoned equipment.

[tireman]

It would be cool if someone would make a map of abandoned logging camps and places where you can find abandoned equipment.

Doing that would only invite thieving lowlifes who would scrap the stuff.I agree it would be nice to see in person, but unfortunately a few have ruined it for the rest.It's a sad reality of what the world has come to.

[Vigilant]

Doing that would only invite thieving lowlifes who would scrap the stuff.I agree it would be nice to see in person, but unfortunately a few have ruined it for the rest.It's a sad reality of what the world has come to.

This.