Weyerhaeuser Company Logging Operations

[JeremyM70]

So is the Vail yard still in operation? From Google Maps, it still looks active, but the picture is 4 years old. Does look like there is a Madill swing yarder in there.

 

[Contract Logger]

So is the Vail yard still in operation? From Google Maps, it still looks active, but the picture is 4 years old. Does look like there is a Madill swing yarder in there.

Sorting yard closed in 1998- I actually personally loaded the last load of logs out of there. Vail operation is still going, and that's a big operation- it includes all the Mineral and Eatonville holdings as well. Used to be able to drive on the mainlines from Vail yard right out through Eatonville to Mt Ranier, and to Cinnebar and out to Morton and Mineral- all off highway. Thousands of miles of Weyco road systems- all locked up tight nowadays though.

The Vail townsite was right there where the shops and the new yard show. The original sort yard, the truck-to-rail reload yard, was out the mainline (I marked that too) looks like at least 2 yarders parkd out there in the pic!

 

[Contract Logger]

Those were fun days working at Vail!

 

[JeremyM70]

Nice. Is the yard very accesible to get in take some pictures? Or any secret back ways like at Pe Ell

 

[John C.]

If you are coming from the south take the Tenino exit at Grand Mound. Follow that through Tenino. The road will Y with the right side going to Rainier and Yelm. Just before you get to Rainier will be the Vail Loop Rd. on the right. I don't remember the milage but it's probably no more than fifteen minutes to the shops. The log yard used to be on the left side of the road but all you will see now is brush. The shops would also be on the left. You will hit a ninety degree turn in the road and go about a quarter mile and see a big gravel road with a big gate on the right. That is the main line, the shops are to the left and that road is open.

I doubt you will see any equipment there as the shops are gone and all the equipment stays in the woods. But you never know for sure. The management offices are there for the entire tree farm though and you might be able to stop in on a week day and ask some questions. Most of the people I dealt with there are real nice. I wouldn't recommend any trips up the main line without a guide or at least a map. You can get lost up there and have a heck of a time finding your way back out. You would absolutely need a CB radio as the logging trucks don't have any patience for tourists.

Good Luck

 

[JeremyM70]

Thanks for the info John, might just still have to check it out to see if I get lucky.

Here's a site of Weyco Mt St Helens equipment before and after pictures that a retired employee took. Got to meet him last year and have lunch at the Oak Tree in Woodland and hear some great stories.
<http://public.fotki.com/jwb592002/state_of_washington/mt-st-helens-from-m/page2.html>

If you are coming from the south take the Tenino exit at Grand Mound. Follow that through Tenino. The road will Y with the right side going to Rainier and Yelm. Just before you get to Rainier will be the Vail Loop Rd. on the right. I don't remember the milage but it's probably no more than fifteen minutes to the shops. The log yard used to be on the left side of the road but all you will see now is brush. The shops would also be on the left. You will hit a ninety degree turn in the road and go about a quarter mile and see a big gravel road with a big gate on the right. That is the main line, the shops are to the left and that road is open.

I doubt you will see any equipment there as the shops are gone and all the equipment stays in the woods. But you never know for sure. The management offices are there for the entire tree farm though and you might be able to stop in on a week day and ask some questions. Most of the people I dealt with there are real nice. I wouldn't recommend any trips up the main line without a guide or at least a map. You can get lost up there and have a heck of a time finding your way back out. You would absolutely need a CB radio as the logging trucks don't have any patience for tourists.

Good Luck

 

[JeremyM70]

If you are coming from the south take the Tenino exit at Grand Mound. Follow that through Tenino. The road will Y with the right side going to Rainier and Yelm. Just before you get to Rainier will be the Vail Loop Rd. on the right. I don't remember the milage but it's probably no more than fifteen minutes to the shops. The log yard used to be on the left side of the road but all you will see now is brush. The shops would also be on the left. You will hit a ninety degree turn in the road and go about a quarter mile and see a big gravel road with a big gate on the right. That is the main line, the shops are to the left and that road is open.

I doubt you will see any equipment there as the shops are gone and all the equipment stays in the woods. But you never know for sure. The management offices are there for the entire tree farm though and you might be able to stop in on a week day and ask some questions. Most of the people I dealt with there are real nice. I wouldn't recommend any trips up the main line without a guide or at least a map. You can get lost up there and have a heck of a time finding your way back out. You would absolutely need a CB radio as the logging trucks don't have any patience for tourists.

Good Luck

Made the trip up to Vail today, stopped in the woods office. Saw lots of pickups, few log trucks, some water trucks, and a couple shovels way off on the other side. Asked about driving around in the yard to take some pictures but the right person wasn't there to let me look around. Took another drive thru Camp Arnold to see if there was any equipment, but just trucks, crummies, water trucks, and shop/fueling trucks.

So yet another disappointing day trying to breach Weyco
However lots of success other places, so see other threads!

 

[JeremyM70]

I looked at a forest map with the Castle lake trail marked on it. This map showed the trail accessing the lake on the east side of the lake nearer the outlet end(north). Thats not where you want to go. About the best way is to go down the hogback, straight down to the inlet of the lake(south end)from the parking lot. That yarder will be in the bottom of the draw on your left as you go down that hogback. It is very steep an has serveral cliffs so you will need to be careful and work your way around them. When you get to the bottom of this ridge you would need to hook to the left and go up and accross the next draw a short distance and you should find the yarder. Take water! Fred

Took a drive up there yesterday and found Castle Lake, however the steep cliffs kind of dissuaded me from doing it. Next time I will find a buddy and do it as I didn't want to do it myself with no one around and limited to no cell coverage.

 

[Contract Logger]

Weyerhaeuser Macks.

Weyerhauser highway-style Macks.

In the late 1970's Weyerhaeuser bought a bunch of highway Macks in several of the camps. Longview had some and 2 were lost in the yard at 12-Mile when the mountain blew. Just for kicks I built a 1/25th version a couple weeks ago of one of these Macks. I was careful to use Kenworth battery box and fuel tanks, as the Weyco Longview trucks were ordered as glider kits and used the KW boxes and tanks. Trailer is standard Peerles long logger. Both kits are readily available, I usually buy mine on ebay for cheap.

Details (hoses, gladhands, lights, exhaust, etc were all added a week or so after I took these pics. Now she's on a shelf with a bunch of other Weyerhauser trucks/equipment I have in the office. I'm working on a Washington TL-6 and Skagit GT-5 to display her with.

 

[Iron Art]

Contract Logger, You havn't lost your touch, nice looking truck, I saw a few of those on Weyerhauser land. Fred
PS Have you seen the Tigercat that I just completed in the Scratchbuilt thread??

 

[Contract Logger]

Contract Logger, You havn't lost your touch, nice looking truck, I saw a few of those on Weyerhauser land. Fred
PS Have you seen the Tigercat that I just completed in the Scratchbuilt thread??

Fred- That Tigercat is absolutely awesome. just curious what it weighs?? What are you gonna do with it? It has to be worth big bucks, but for the builder sometimes parting with it isnt even an option.

My truck is a cheap and easy plastic kit. Your Tigercat is a big, heavy, metalwork more along the lines of fabrication/sculpture/art. Not even on the same planet!

Hats off again!

 

[jm89]

PS Have you seen the Tigercat that I just completed in the Scratchbuilt thread??

Could you post a link? id like to see that.

 

[JeremyM70]

Could you post a link? id like to see that.

<https://www.heavyequipmentforums.com/showthread.php?p=250680#post250680>

Post 67

 

[Iron Art]

Contract Logger, The Tigercat weights 16 lbs, while I was at it I put the Madill 046 on the scales at 36 lbs. What am I going to do with it?? ,there is a toy show in Harrisburg OR that I'm planning on taking it to. after that, don't know. This is taking this thread a long ways away from Weyerhauser, On your log truck, did you make the decals? Fred

 

[HCF]

Drove up the little fall creek ML and went all the way out the 500 line today. Got some cool pics of a Weyco shovel logging side. Had a couple 3800 madills a big older komatsu pc300 I think and a nice link belt. Drove about 10 miles further and ran into a nice tower side. I think it was a Rice logging side out of Sweet Home Or. 330C shovel TY90 tower and a 330 or similar sized stroker on the other side of the tower. They were set up in the road so I only got a couple pics. I'll try and post all of them tonight when I get home. I actually got good pics this time on my digi cam. Haha.

 

[JeremyM70]

Nice looking forward to seeing the pictures! All the Weyco logging sites up here are behind locked gates during the weekend and I don't have a gate key anymore.

Do you have Weyco maps for the tree farms down in Oregon? Just wondering where I would find them? Not that I would ever make it down that way to visit, just be interesting to see where all they have property.

 

[Contract Logger]

Some 'Oregon Weyerhaeuser' Mack truck pics.

Dellwood Operation, 1970's.

B Model from the late 1960's. R Model from the mid- 1970's.

 

[HCF]

Nice looking forward to seeing the pictures! All the Weyco logging sites up here are behind locked gates during the weekend and I don't have a gate key anymore.

Do you have Weyco maps for the tree farms down in Oregon? Just wondering where I would find them? Not that I would ever make it down that way to visit, just be interesting to see where all they have property.

I think my dad has some old maps somewhere. He used to do road surveys for them in the early ninetys. I really am not sure why the gates have been open lately. I figure they're having animal damage to their re-prod and I think it's still bow or blackpowder season for elk around here. I didn't see anybody working in the first 8 miles of the ML and 14 miles of the 500 line. Thought I could have heard a dump truck off in the distance but I'm not sure. The ownership of sections out there are scattered. Didn't hear any whistles being punked either. I should be home soon to post the pics I took today.

 

[580bruce]

I love the B-model pic! Didnt Weyco use all Macks at one time?

 

[HCF]

thats the shovel logging side. I believe it was a company side. Don't think they let company guys work with contract guys.