Koehrings in the bush

[jr-transport]

Just figured I'd thow this thread in to the mix here and see if anyone else has pics and/or stories of these machines.

 

[245dlc]

That machine in the third picture is pretty fascinating what's the story on it?

 

[DoubleBitTimber]

That machine in the third picture is pretty fascinating what's the story on it?

No Kidding, never seen anything like it! Is the part in the middle a stroke delimber? There's quite a few two man Hahn Harvesters around my area, but that is way neater.

 

[jr-transport]

It's a short-wood harvester. yes, that is a delimber on it and there is very little else I can tell you about it. Finding good (or any for that matter) information on it is darn near impossible. Baisically, all I know is that there were about 170-175 of them built between 1969 and 1975(ish) and that they were famous for big ruts. I would really like to find one some where; I've heard that there is one in new brunswick somewhere at a museum.
Also, they are freaking huge! as are all Koehring forestry machines.

any other pics would be welcomed!

 

[trakloader]

I have some Eastern magazines from that era, I'll see if there is anything in them.

 

[mitch504]

I wonder if that is what they called a pulpwood combine around here? I know International Paper had 3 or 4 of them here in the 70's, but they all went to scrap. My brother-in-law used to run one, I'll show him this pic and ask.


Or maybe this is it, but from his description they seemed bigger:
http://books.google.com/books?id=QSYDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA92&lpg=PA92&dq=pulpwood+combine&source=bl&ots=ngYQ_KX-kk&sig=7X-iazG2PlvIl7jZrCxGP67Mufg&hl=en&ei=F-HOTbeTIofY0QGXpf3oDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CDEQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=pulpwood%20combine&f=false

 

[jr-transport]

Here is a pic to better show the scale of the machine. This is one of the few pics I have found online. I have been told that it may be in BC some where.
The picture in my first post is from a 1970 ad in a french magazine. It lists a number of Companies that had been using them; on of which was Canadian International Paper........

 

[245dlc]

Lol, no wonder they left such big ruts.

 

[DTL]

I know a few mechanics that worked on these monsters, the Keohring mechanics were the "elite". I guess Great Lakes Forest Products used lots of these machine in there woodland operations in Northwestern Ontario. The biggest problem was the technology, it just wasn't there yet. Its kinda crazy to think that this huge machine does the same thing as a processor.

 

[jr-transport]

I knew that teh Dryden mill had a few of these machines in the bush but they have all been scrapped. I know a few guys around Emo and Ft. Frances that went up to help demolish them. Most guys can only remember that they were huge and looked kinda goofy. If there was one still around dryden somewhere I'd love to go see it.
As far as being elite; you definatly had to know your stuff, particularly hydraulics. just an endless mess of hoses and valve banks.......

 

[245dlc]

It would sure be nice if somebody came out with a book about Koehring, they've got a long history and some very reknown machines and certainly had a lot to do with the switchover from cables to hydraulics. It's just to bad they didn't survive like so many other North American equipment manufacturers.

 

[Scott_527]

Theres a shortwood machine at the forestry museum in Boisetown NB. You really cant appreciate these things until youre standing next to one, looking up! It's really hard to imagine them moving around through the woods.

 

[jr-transport]

245dlc that would be AWESOME! many of their construction cranes are great, and the foresty equipment they followed the same mantra as their huge cranes......overbuild it so id doesnt break
Scott; now i need to go to New Brunswick! and its definatley true, the size cant be appreciated till you see one. The K4LF in the above pictures is the same way. HUGE in every possible way. i go see it once in a while in the junk yard just to remember what machines used to be like. it has got to be over 20 feet tall.

 

[Clayton2]

Im from New Brunswick and I found these ones sitting in a Guys yard. Thought I would Share them

 

[jr-transport]

GREAT PICS! I hope you dont mind if I put them up on my flikr page http://www.flickr.com/photos/jr-transport/ of course I'll put your name to them, if you consent. I see a K2FF (I only have one other pic of a K2FF) in the first 2 pics, the 3rd appears to be a K3FF, 4th (I have no Idea) and last we have again the K2FF.
again awesome pics!

 

[DTL]

There use to be a feller forwarder at the mill, I will look into where it went, the other thing they still have the Koehring wood loaders, they have two of them there, If you want I have a friend there that can hook you up and take a look at them one evening? The other monster machine you might be interested in the the NESCO three man slasher, I'm trying to track them down so far I found two!

 

[jr-transport]

yeah that would be great! I'll be up in dryden for the hot rod and truck show next month. I would love to go see afew of those monsters. I have heard guys talk about how quickly they could load trucks in the mill.

 

[SPMiller]

surprised they don't use those in alberta..

 

[jr-transport]

There were some used out there. I found a 440 Loader forwarder being scrapped out there; mind you thats the only one ive heard of out there.

 

[245dlc]

Were they used in The Pas, or Pine Falls? I've never seen Koehring logging machines when I use to go to Pine Falls, I have seen a few Koehring excavators though.