British Columbia Forest Products Ltd.

[Born2clearcut]

Raising a Spar tree 1958 Harris Creek area . One of my Grandfathers favorite saying was " Back in the day when Machines were made out of wood and the men were Steel "

 

[kiwi450x]

Excellent pics, Born2clearcut. You'd wanna know what you're doing to rig that wooden spar...

 

[pabear52]

Done that a long time ago, Southland, New Zealand about 1976 approx. The wooden spar had all guy wires and blocks for the hauler attached first and then was anchored to a stump and pulled up with a Cat D6B dozer with the guys tightened or slackend as required to steer it straight as it went up. Quite a process and took nearly all day.

 

[Born2clearcut]

I saw somewhere in my pile of pics of a fully rigged tree being raised .I'll see if i can track them down .

 

[furpo]

Done that a long time ago, Southland, New Zealand about 1976 approx. The wooden spar had all guy wires and blocks for the hauler attached first and then was anchored to a stump and pulled up with a Cat D6B dozer with the guys tightened or slackend as required to steer it straight as it went up. Quite a process and took nearly all day.

Being from Southland was this done using a Willson Bros hauler was it? I assume 76 would have been using the diesel sleds. There are a few still around that have been converted to trailers with steel towers.

 

[pabear52]

One was a Wilson Bros sled powered by Detroit, very modern compared to some. Another was one built by a company on West Coast but cant remember its name. A Washington turned up about this time too. A big gap in my life here, not one photo of any of it to my regret. This type of logging was done only in native until it was virtually shutdown with exotic forest taking over and Madills and some Skagits gradually coming in throughout NZ where the terrain made it necessary. I have been out of it for 20yrs now and have watched the destruction of the Forestry Industry in Tasmania destroyed by scabby braindead politicians spruiking for the greenie vote. One thingTassie can do is grow trees of all sorts. Lets log!
.

 

[furpo]

The Dispatch was built in Greymouth and the Davidson in Hokitika.

I know of three Wilsons and 4 Dispatches still around. 6 have been converted to steel towers. The last is a dispatch sitting at Maramarua. Come to think of it, it has been a long time since I have been in there so it is more likely gone by now.

You should try get hold of the May issue of NZ Logger. It has a few neat photos of Kiwi steam sled haulers in it.

 

[pabear52]

It was a Dispatch and on tracks.

 

[Born2clearcut]

BCFP Bear Creek 1958
Wish i knew my old machines better but i'm sure someone here will beable to tell us what make / model of machine it is . Think i counted 7 drums , maybe 8 looks like a small strawline drum on far front right . This is quite the rig too bad its broke down lol . The big sticker on the side of the plywood ( cab) says " Prevent Fire's "

 

[hoglogg]

great pics of renfrew , the old bear creek camp is being logged as we speak , second growth wood, timberwest owns that area , i dont know who s logging it for them tho. i knew lots of guys that train logged and truck logged out there years ago , sadly a lot of them have passed away , we are doing some heli salvage near there, closer to town ,,,, please keep the pics coming ....

 

[M_T_Noggin]

I remember that shop truck, it was at the Renfrew shop. It had a welder powered by a v4 wisconson and a hand crank. Was it ever fun to start.

 

[Jumbo]

BCFP Bear Creek 1958
Wish i knew my old machines better but i'm sure someone here will beable to tell us what make / model of machine it is . Think i counted 7 drums , maybe 8 looks like a small strawline drum on far front right . This is quite the rig too bad its broke down lol . The big sticker on the side of the plywood ( cab) says " Prevent Fire's "

It looks like it might be an old sled mounted unit skidder, the two front drums appearing to be identical in size, and the two levers right in front of the plywood appear to be the operating levers for a duplex loader. The yarding drums are back towards the rear in the shadows. The front small drum might have been a car spotting drum in it’s day. The duplex loader hoists ran the drum both directions which would account for the base of the levers, with the levers being somewhat centered in the photo

Every unit skidder on a sled I have ever seen (pictures) was steam, so this might have been repowered. However, Washington did build some horrendously large electrics and I think there were a couple powered by the Estep diesel.

That is my 2 cents worth..

 

[pabear52]

Thats the way guys. Grow it and log it.

 

[Born2clearcut]

Downtown Caycuse

BCFP Caycuse office . First pic was taken 1965, second pic january 1969 looks like they got alot of snow that year

 

[Vigilant]

Looks like a modern (at the time) Fargo crew cab on the right. I would guess that the pickup on the left was an older International?

 

[Born2clearcut]

I think it maybe a mid 60's Dodge d350 Vigilant ,but I could be wrong . I would loved to have that Fargo crew cab today in the mint shape it looks to be in , They're kool looking rig's .

Here's a Ambulance Fargo, picture taken 1969 in Caycuse

 

[Vigilant]

I think it maybe a mid 60's Dodge d350 Vigilant ,but I could be wrong . I would loved to have that Fargo crew cab today in the mint shape it looks to be in , They're kool looking rig's .

Here's a Ambulance Fargo, picture taken 1969 in Caycuse

Nice. Me myself, I would give my eye teeth for a '71 or '72 Mercury 3/4 ton in mint shape.

 

[diamondtguy]

I am kind of partial to the Willy's and the Studebaker sitting there.....Cory

 

[HDX]

Holy Cow !!!I remember when Doc Shrader use to have that ambulance parked everyday out at the big NitNat Bridge God I never would have thought it would even rate a picture Man that is pure history If memory serves me right he lived in Chemainus

 

[Vigilant]

Back in the Sixties, Weyco Twin Harbors (Washington) had a silver Willys just like the one pictured. My Dad was a surveyor at the time, and they kept that one 4X4 for getting into the roughest areas to survey, stake roads, and set up logging plans. I remember it well.