Skagit Iron and Steel Works, Sedro Wooley, Washington

[johnson]

Skagit BU-739 SN A-129 before and after a rebuild at Active equipment curently owned by an outfit called Skyline Harvesting.

More pictures here http://activeequipment.co.nz/rebuilds/skagit-739/

 

[TorkelH]

Good pictures of a nice machine you are posting, mr Johnson! What do they actually do with the towers and guyline arrangements on such rebuilds, do they totally rebuild them or is it other ways to ensure all welds and parts will be good as new?

In 1979 Skagit redesigned their cab controls and moved cab to the left hand side of the machine on at least their big slacklines, which was the BU-737, BU-739 and the BU-199. I have some pictures of this control design on the last two 199's A112 and A113, and on the first 739, which I think maybe is the A129. I will post as soon as I have time.

Skagit seem to have based their serial numbers on model number and a serial starting with A101 and also on month and year machine was finished at the works, so this actual machine is manufactured in december 1979 and is BU-739 number 29.
New cab is as I can see mounted so it can slide from one side to another, which giver the operator better visibility.

 

[TorkelH]

I have by the way uploaded some videos of a BU-199 working on the Oregon coast:
[video]www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHUwvApRKFo[/video]

 

[JeremyM70]

I have by the way uploaded some videos of a BU-199 working on the Oregon coast:
[video]www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHUwvApRKFo[/video]

Awesome! Wish I was there.

 

[Vigilant]

Excellent video, but it breaks my heart to see PNW loggers having to log dog hair for a living. I was born back in the days of old growth, and BIG second growth.

Unfortunately, life goes on.

 

[Redwood Climber]

Excellent My Friend....You Shine DUDE!!!

I have by the way uploaded some videos of a BU-199 working on the Oregon coast:
[video]www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHUwvApRKFo[/video]

Thank you Mr.TorkelH my friend, you really know how to help a bunch of big yarder addicts (I'm including you in here) out. She looks absolutely amazing! She is one of only 13 made and probably the only one that is still logging! That had to be a special treat for you to video and hang around this one. To know that at least some of the parts of a 199 that I worked on may be working there makes me smile....

Ok....now it's time for questions and answers! I'm sure you got lots more video and or pictures.....?
And you had to of gotten the serial numbers.......?
The history of the machine?
How far out are they hanging?

I'll stop there for now....expecting a full report soon.....

I see they are using the haulback drum as their skidding line, good move there, I don't know the exact line speed of the drums, but the haulback is much faster, and has lots more line capacity than the skidding drum.

I can totally relate to your comment Mr. Vigilant, she is logging dog hair in the video, but hey, she is logging!!

Logging second, (or third)growth timber is definitely different than logging old growth, your turn weight is much lighter most of the time. You can almost log with your skyling semi-standing most of the time. For speed, you will lower your skyline when sending the carriage back. When logging real heavy timber, the engineer is on the skyline friction alot as the turn comes in. You don't try to fly a 15 or 20,000 (or more) pound log, you just lift one end off the ground.....let some of the weight of the log drag, it takes a lot of the strain off your skyline and guy lines. It does mean the rigging slinger has to be quick on the whistle, as the turn climbs the hill, he has to signal to raise the skyline as needed to keep that end of the log up.

There you go Mr. TorkelH....you got me logging on Sunday morning!!

Thanks again for the video....you shine DUDE!!

 

[boardbysled]

ZBW's BU-94, Whatcom County, WA. Taken today.

 

[furpo]

Skyline Harvesting is one of the crews that belongs to the company I work for. Haven't seen the new hauler yet but apparently Actives did a nice job. It was imported from Tasmania, Australia.

 

[johnson]

Do you know where their TY-90 came from?Here is a picture of it https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...1288003217609_1392089931_n.jpg&size=2048,1536

 

[furpo]

I have been meaning to go get the number off it for a long time now but have not done so. One of the records has it as a Washington base but I know this not to be the case. It is a Skagit. My forman operated this machine for a number of years so he is a good source. The machine was imported by the current owner.

 

[johnson]

If the records say it was on a Washington Carrier than it is probably 9042 bought new by Bill Bremyer it was on a Washington carrier and was painted yelow , it got fliped and put on a Skagit carrier and repainted the usual Thunderbird tan-red paintshame (before going to New Zeland).and if that is the case now I'm only mising 9054 and 9058 and I have completed the TY-90 buildrecords.

 

[furpo]

If the records say it was on a Washington Carrier than it is probably 9042 bought new by Bill Bremyer it was on a Washington carrier and was painted yelow , it got fliped and put on a Skagit carrier and repainted the usual Thunderbird tan-red paintshame (before going to New Zeland).and if that is the case now I'm only mising 9054 and 9058 and I have completed the TY-90 buildrecords.

Negative on that. 9042 is still on a Washington carrier. I have posted photos of it and it is owned by Alan Sinton. This is the same person that has 9046 which is on the Skagit carrier. Ive also posted photos of that machine. The Olsen (Skyline Harvesters) machine is supposed to be 9048. I.e. the Fred Moore machine on the Washington 208 carrier. This is obviously not the case unless it was converted.

9054 is Peter Molds machine and 9058 is Colin Roseware's. I have no photos of them.

 

[Factory Kid]

Chain housing at transmission looks different from other pictures of BU-199's so we may not have seen pictures of this machine here before.

This is a particularly wonderful picture in my opinion. In the white coat at the front of the machine's left side in the white coat is Dave McIntyre, former Pres. and CEO of Skagit Corporation. With him is Fred Klein who would shortly be joining the Skagit Corporation management team, also there was Russ Hedden, the president of Bendix Automotive Group. They were obviously on a tour of the facilities of Bendix-Skagit Corporation. When I talked to Fred he told me stories about his participation as a manager in the Apollo transporter vehicle design and build. He obviously was very used to large machinery and being a with the BU 199 – T110 HD might have impressed them. This picture was taken about the same time as the one in the Skagit 75 brochure showing my dad and the two gentlemen from Bendix. The year of course was 1976. Dad was four years president of Bendix-Skagit Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Bendix Corporation.

I was very happy to see that picture with my dad who left us in the early 1990s. Those were great days in the little town of Sedro Woolley. The best line that I heard came from the Bendix people: "Machine shops and foundries are a dime a dozen, we wanted your people."

 

[TorkelH]

There are at least three binders of photos (negatives) of people working at the factory in the "Skagit collections", you should absolutely pay the collection a visit, but bring your own scanner ($139 at Staples) and be prepared to spend some days...

 

[Factory Kid]

Some old Skagit SJ series, circa 1962

My recollection is that the machine is an SJ – 7R, sold by Jim Carlson, manager of Skagit of Canada Limited. That was an early machine that I believe needed to be modified to handle big timber in British Columbia. While he SJ – 7R was the largest mobile logger Skagit built at the time, the machine would just not heavy enough in the standard configuration to complete the mission intended. The reinforcements reportedly allowed the machine to do the work. A mobile logger is really a combination yarder and loader and were developments of the concept started by the SJ 4, and SJ 8.

About that time Skagit Corporation purchased Bull Moose Limited, a manufacture of load carriers including travel lifts and forklifts. Later Jack McIntyre became President of Bull Moose Limited. And held a position until the acquisition of the company by Bendix Corporation.

 

[boardbysled]

ZBW's BU-94 rigged up in Whatcom County, WA.

 

[theironoracle]

Skagit PT4Y logging yarder. 50 foot tower, 2 drum with a hay wire 4 guy lines, powered by cat diesel. And 3 speed allison transmission. All line is brand new, 1500 feet of main line 2500 feet oc hb
Of haul back and alot of hay wire and brand new guy lines and comes with a cristy carriage. Was working daily. saw this on portlands craiglist, If someone knows how to get the pictures here do it or let me know how and I will get it here............theironoracle

 

[Vigilant]

Skagit PT4Y logging yarder. 50 foot tower, 2 drum with a hay wire 4 guy lines, powered by cat diesel. And 3 speed allison transmission. All line is brand new, 1500 feet of main line 2500 feet oc hb
Of haul back and alot of hay wire and brand new guy lines and comes with a cristy carriage. Was working daily. saw this on portlands craiglist, If someone knows how to get the pictures here do it or let me know how and I will get it here............theironoracle

http://portland.craigslist.org/clc/grd/3946841436.htm


Welllllllll... nice try anyway.

 

[Knocker of rock]

Was that John Schnabel?

Here's and old 1960's era SJ4-RT yarder-loader rusting near Haines Alaska. What a beast she must have been to run. I asked the owner if he would sell at and he said 'absolutely not', almost offended. He is in his late 90's, lol. I guess he may log with it again soon...


..

 

[boardbysled]

ZBW's BU94, Whatcom County, WA