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S. Madill, Blacksmith, Founded in 1911 in Nanaimo BC
- Thread starter Contract Logger
- Start date
Contract Logger
Senior Member
Madill built almost 900 '009 Yarders' from the early 1960's until 1984, both at Nanaimo BC and at Kalama, WA. The 009 Madill was by far the most prominent and poular yarder ever built. No other even comes close in terms of number sold. They were mounted on everything you can think of, from wooden sleds, old trucks or trailers, and most often military surplus tanks. Here in Alaska there is an old 009 on a wooden sled still out in the brush, rusting along with an LS98 Link-Belt on a landing (wooden tree long since fallen) on Prince of Wales Island. One of these days I'll get a helicopter ride in there and get some pics for everyone. OK, theres a Madill story, now tell me yours...........
Contract Logger
Senior Member
Gone, but not forgotten......
These 2 Madill 009's were scrapped in Hoonah, Alaska in 2006, about a month after I took these pics. Both were in great running condition, and DRIVEN onto the scrapper's barge, only to be cut up on the barge and hauled to Seattle smelters. Damn shame, but a common end for these and hunderds of other old yarders.
These 2 Madill 009's were scrapped in Hoonah, Alaska in 2006, about a month after I took these pics. Both were in great running condition, and DRIVEN onto the scrapper's barge, only to be cut up on the barge and hauled to Seattle smelters. Damn shame, but a common end for these and hunderds of other old yarders.
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Contract Logger
Senior Member
Caterpillar D9 '009 Alaska Special'
Called the 'Alaska Special', Madill built the 009 hoist, tower tube and guyline drums as a kit and sent the kits to Alaska where the mills and loggers mounted them, mostly on used D9 crawlers. I never saw ANY of these machines in Washington or Oregon, but in Alaska they were everywhere. If you had mounted one on an old military truck originally (and many were), then removing it and putting it on a decent D9 was a HUGE inprovement for mobilty. These machines are also being scrapped at an alarming rate.
Called the 'Alaska Special', Madill built the 009 hoist, tower tube and guyline drums as a kit and sent the kits to Alaska where the mills and loggers mounted them, mostly on used D9 crawlers. I never saw ANY of these machines in Washington or Oregon, but in Alaska they were everywhere. If you had mounted one on an old military truck originally (and many were), then removing it and putting it on a decent D9 was a HUGE inprovement for mobilty. These machines are also being scrapped at an alarming rate.
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Contract Logger
Senior Member
Contract Logger
Senior Member
Madill Trucks
Madill was willing to try anything. One BC logger convinced them to try thier hand at trucks. They were building boom boats (dozer boats) for sorting logs in the water with great success. The trucks were just too big and clumsy. after a couple of years they quit with the truck idea, however, some pictures do exist. Here are a couple.
Madill was willing to try anything. One BC logger convinced them to try thier hand at trucks. They were building boom boats (dozer boats) for sorting logs in the water with great success. The trucks were just too big and clumsy. after a couple of years they quit with the truck idea, however, some pictures do exist. Here are a couple.
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Contract Logger
Senior Member
Madill 046 on Madill Self-Propelled Carrier
The 046 was the big popular slackline yarder. Not the biggest Madill yarder built (The 052 Tension Skidder was much larger), but big nonetheless. The tank-version rigged and ready weighed in at around 250,000 lbs. Here are some pics of the 046 on Madill's SP carrier. This one is yellow, but most were orange. There were about 30 046 yarders buillt in total.
The 046 was the big popular slackline yarder. Not the biggest Madill yarder built (The 052 Tension Skidder was much larger), but big nonetheless. The tank-version rigged and ready weighed in at around 250,000 lbs. Here are some pics of the 046 on Madill's SP carrier. This one is yellow, but most were orange. There were about 30 046 yarders buillt in total.
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Contract Logger
Senior Member
Madill 075, For Loading Logs
Built during the 1970's and 80's, the Madill 075 was incredibly popular for log loading and roadside logging. Many were built, both on hydraulics tracks and rubber tire self-propelled. Boom stick lenghts were as long as 130', and they were painted in every color, contractor's choice, at no extra charge. Madill today is still selling parts to 35 or so customers who are still using these machines.
Built during the 1970's and 80's, the Madill 075 was incredibly popular for log loading and roadside logging. Many were built, both on hydraulics tracks and rubber tire self-propelled. Boom stick lenghts were as long as 130', and they were painted in every color, contractor's choice, at no extra charge. Madill today is still selling parts to 35 or so customers who are still using these machines.
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expatracer
Well-Known Member
please keep all the good pictures and stores coming these are the most intresting threads ive read for a while . wish i could get the chance to see alot of this old iron.the closest i got was stopping in boston bar to have a look at the yard on the edge of town with all the old gear in it. Some real good history here so please dont stop.
EGS
Senior Member
Contract Logger set me straight on the Madill yarder numbers. I know there are the 009's 071's 120's 171's 172's. What do all the model numbers mean?
Iron Art
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 23, 2010
- Messages
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- Location
- Western Washington
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- Retired power plant control operator
Contract logger, You were mentioning that one of those Madills came from the Camp Baker operation, my father-in-law was shop foreman there for many years before going to work for Cat and later to the Alaska pipeline. He may have worked on that Madill a time or two. Fred
Contract Logger
Senior Member
EGS- I truly do not know where the numbers came from. Here is what I do know, some vague descriptions. I will eventually scan all the sales brochures so you can see specs.:
Madill Yarders introduced in the 1960's:
1. Madill 009. 2 drum highlead machine, with strawline. Usually 90' tower height.
2. Madill 046. 3 drum slackline yarder, with straw and taglines, Usually 90' tower height.
3. Madill 052. 3 drums as 046, but running skyline. Huge, heavy. Usually 90' tower also.
4. Madill Yarding Crane, later shrunk and called 044. Swinging grapple yarder. Huge.
Madill Yarders introduced in the 1970's:
1. Madill 076. 45' Tower, mounted on Terex crawler, similar to 071, only 2 built.
2. Madill 071. 50' Tower, slackline yarder mounted on Terex, tank, or rubber Madill SP.
3. Madill 044. Large swing grapple yarder. Smaller, lighter version of the 'Yarding Crane'.
4. Madill 084. Bigger version yet of the 044. Only 3 were built. Just too big and heavy.
Madill Yarders of the 1980's:
1. Madill 121. Swing yarder, lightweight and mobile, only 3 ever built.
2. Madill 122. New and improved 121, very popular and still in use today. 110,000 lbs.
3. Madill 123. Larger, basically bigger version of the 122. Weighs about 150,000 lbs.
4. Madill 144. Bigger still version of the 123. Basically huge, swing grapple yarder.
5. Madill 171. Bigger version of the 071, with 70 tower, bigger drums, etc, in big tank.
In 1989 Pat Madill was killed in a plane crash and Madill was purchased by Cypress Ltd, of Delta BC. The madills of the 90's were a mixed product, closer to the Cypress machine.
Also, some Cypress machines (6280, 7280) were painted orange and called madills.
Madill yarders of the 1990's:
1. Madill 120, Swing Yarder. Grapple or dropline machine, all hydraulic, 105,000 lbs.
2. Madill 124, Swing Yarder. Same as above, much much larger, all hydraulic.
3. Madill 172. 70' slackline machine, hydraulically controlled mobile standing tower.
In the late 90's the Cypress/Madill joint venture purchased Thunderbird from Ross Murray, and some of those machines were painted orange and re-assigned numbers.
Its all convoluted now, but that is basically the Madill lineup. Log loaders, boom boats, and other things were built and very poular, like the 075 line loader discussed earlier.
Madill Yarders introduced in the 1960's:
1. Madill 009. 2 drum highlead machine, with strawline. Usually 90' tower height.
2. Madill 046. 3 drum slackline yarder, with straw and taglines, Usually 90' tower height.
3. Madill 052. 3 drums as 046, but running skyline. Huge, heavy. Usually 90' tower also.
4. Madill Yarding Crane, later shrunk and called 044. Swinging grapple yarder. Huge.
Madill Yarders introduced in the 1970's:
1. Madill 076. 45' Tower, mounted on Terex crawler, similar to 071, only 2 built.
2. Madill 071. 50' Tower, slackline yarder mounted on Terex, tank, or rubber Madill SP.
3. Madill 044. Large swing grapple yarder. Smaller, lighter version of the 'Yarding Crane'.
4. Madill 084. Bigger version yet of the 044. Only 3 were built. Just too big and heavy.
Madill Yarders of the 1980's:
1. Madill 121. Swing yarder, lightweight and mobile, only 3 ever built.
2. Madill 122. New and improved 121, very popular and still in use today. 110,000 lbs.
3. Madill 123. Larger, basically bigger version of the 122. Weighs about 150,000 lbs.
4. Madill 144. Bigger still version of the 123. Basically huge, swing grapple yarder.
5. Madill 171. Bigger version of the 071, with 70 tower, bigger drums, etc, in big tank.
In 1989 Pat Madill was killed in a plane crash and Madill was purchased by Cypress Ltd, of Delta BC. The madills of the 90's were a mixed product, closer to the Cypress machine.
Also, some Cypress machines (6280, 7280) were painted orange and called madills.
Madill yarders of the 1990's:
1. Madill 120, Swing Yarder. Grapple or dropline machine, all hydraulic, 105,000 lbs.
2. Madill 124, Swing Yarder. Same as above, much much larger, all hydraulic.
3. Madill 172. 70' slackline machine, hydraulically controlled mobile standing tower.
In the late 90's the Cypress/Madill joint venture purchased Thunderbird from Ross Murray, and some of those machines were painted orange and re-assigned numbers.
Its all convoluted now, but that is basically the Madill lineup. Log loaders, boom boats, and other things were built and very poular, like the 075 line loader discussed earlier.
Contract Logger
Senior Member
Cypress Ltd, of Delta BC, Builing and branding as Madill
The Madill name was better and older than the Cypress name, so when Dex O. and the Cypress boys were able to purchase Madill, they immediately began using the orange paint and Madill name on thier machines. Here is a Cypress-designes 6280 hydraulic swing/grapple yarder, built after the aquisition and called a 'Madill 6280'. This would lead into the madill 120, see the similarities:
The Madill name was better and older than the Cypress name, so when Dex O. and the Cypress boys were able to purchase Madill, they immediately began using the orange paint and Madill name on thier machines. Here is a Cypress-designes 6280 hydraulic swing/grapple yarder, built after the aquisition and called a 'Madill 6280'. This would lead into the madill 120, see the similarities:
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EGS
Senior Member
Thank you that makes sense. Now can you explain highlead vs slackline yarders? Would you have a 3 drum machine for down hill logging?
Contract Logger
Senior Member
You can yard uphill, downhill, or sideways with any yarder. You just have to get creative sometimes, but ANY yarder wit 2 or more drums will yard downhill.
A highlead yarder has a mainline drum- to pull logs in to the yarder, and a haulback drum- to pull the rigging/or chokers back out to the logs. Easy enough.
A slackline yarder has both mainline and haulback drums, plus a skyline drum. The possibilities now are endless, as you can log all sorts of ways with these 3 drums.
To grapple yard you need a dedicated machine designed for that. The essentials are a running skyline, and interlocking/reversing double main drums to run the grapple.
A highlead yarder has a mainline drum- to pull logs in to the yarder, and a haulback drum- to pull the rigging/or chokers back out to the logs. Easy enough.
A slackline yarder has both mainline and haulback drums, plus a skyline drum. The possibilities now are endless, as you can log all sorts of ways with these 3 drums.
To grapple yard you need a dedicated machine designed for that. The essentials are a running skyline, and interlocking/reversing double main drums to run the grapple.
Contract Logger
Senior Member
Madill 071 Yarders on Various Undercarriages
The early Madill 071 yarders were mounted on Terex 82-30 Crawlers, and a bunch were painted 'Terex Green' to match the dozer. Then, another round was produced on Madill's own shop-built style crane-carrier with cab. Finally, the most poular by far (as seen on Axe-Men) is the venerable 'General Sherman' military surplus tank undrcarriage. In all, 240 Madill 071's were produced from 1974 to 1984, with one last Terex mount built in 1986, painted orange. Here are some pics of the various undercarriages.
The early Madill 071 yarders were mounted on Terex 82-30 Crawlers, and a bunch were painted 'Terex Green' to match the dozer. Then, another round was produced on Madill's own shop-built style crane-carrier with cab. Finally, the most poular by far (as seen on Axe-Men) is the venerable 'General Sherman' military surplus tank undrcarriage. In all, 240 Madill 071's were produced from 1974 to 1984, with one last Terex mount built in 1986, painted orange. Here are some pics of the various undercarriages.
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Contract Logger
Senior Member
Contract Logger
Senior Member
Abscraperguy
Senior Member
In what situation is Madill today? A few years ago there were unused Madill pieces of equipment showing up on auctions all over the place and that is the last I've seen of them.
JTL
Senior Member
Modern Machinery (Dennis Washington) has bought out the Madill line. They plan on countining building parts for older Madill machines in B.C. The Kalama,WA plant was closed down.
Contract Logger said in another post, that they will also bulild you any machine you would like.
Heres a link to Modern Machinery's website.http://www.modernmachinery.com