Thunderbird Yarders, Loaders, and Etc from the Murray's in Eugene Oregon

[DonnyBoy553]

Here are some pictures with the yarding drums. There were originally only going to be two drums with 5/8ths, but my grandpa insisted that they add a straw line drum for the guys in the brush.

 

[theironoracle]

These are great pictures. I like the kenworth picture pulling that machine around on the lowboy I have a soft spot for c-500's. That picture of that shovel with the lines out pulling logs would look great on a shop office wall. Thanks for sharing....TIO

 

[JPV]

Here is a rare bird, looks nearly extinct but not quite!

 

[theironoracle]

Thanks for sharing. I remember 20-ish years ago bidding (unsuccessfully) on one like this at an auction at Cowlitz Stud? Maybe it was this one? This looks a lot like an 840/842 loader I worked on in years past. It had a cummins m-11 engine in it. TIO

 

[JPV]

This one belongs to Jerry Debriae, I think he has had it since new and I believe it has an 400 cummins if I remember right, it is the only Thunderbird roadbuilder I have ever seen. I have no idea how many were built. It has spent the last several years in the pit loading trucks and I guess there are several side boards laying around because the bucket is only slightly narrower then the box and the controls are not that great anymore.

 

[camptramp]

Boulder Bill .

 

[HDX]

Picture taken in the top of Cameron shop yard The garage sale had started The HDX frame in the background is or at least was H59 A 1973 HDX Conventional The 988 was one of the China Creek DLS machines being sold. The log loader was a MARS Contracting machine also the front end showing the 849RF Kenworth ramp truck they used

 

[furpo]

Here is an update on s5087. The old girl has had a lot of love lately. Latest is an upgrade to the slew motor mounting

 

[Hallback]

There were a few of the big Tbird road builders made. Most were converted into shovels as they had so much power that they tore the booms off of them easily.

Jerrys is the last one in existence

 

[Hallback]

Hall back,man good to hear from you. Are you getting a yarder again?

Yessir, I am in the process of getting a BU-94/T-100HDSP as we speak.

 

[furpo]

S5087 getting a bit more love. This time sorting the chaincase leaks, new strawline bearings and cleaning all the grease of the strawline clutch.

 

[Murk100]

Here is an update on s5087. The old girl has had a lot of love lately. Latest is an upgrade to the slew motor mounting[/QU
Looks good Furpo, I though I was the only one running a grapple on a 255. We have done a pile of updates on our 255 as well.

 

[furpo]

Thanks Murk. Been keeping an eye on what you have been up to. Loving the boom and tower upgrades. Are you guys auto shifting the transmission? Been thinking about that for our machine.

We are not the only ones down here running the grapple on the 255. The Olsen machine has been grappling for quite some time and is the first I know off. Last I seen of that machine it was still three lever too. Lou Prince has been grappling with his as well.

We are not as far ahead with the modifications as I would like to be as we have been getting on top of the maintenance first. Do have a grapple camera on the way.

Does anyone happen to know the brand and model for the travel controls for the 255? I have a leaking one. I wish the Thunderbird parts manuals had the OEM part numbers for these things and not the Thunderbird ones. Also have the files for the profile cutter if anyone is interested in coping my slew mounting.

 

[hoechucker]

There were a few of the big Tbird road builders made. Most were converted into shovels as they had so much power that they tore the booms off of them easily.

Jerrys is the last one in existence

There was a road builder in a chip yard in chehalis wa. I think it was about 6-7 years ago.they had several Thunderbird shovels and the one road builder.everything they had was beat like they were mad at it so it could have been scrapped since then

 

[Hallback]

Most all of that iron came from JB Leonard. He used it to the fullest!

 

[Murk100]

Thanks Murk. Been keeping an eye on what you have been up to. Loving the boom and tower upgrades. Are you guys auto shifting the transmission? Been thinking about that for our machine.

We are not the only ones down here running the grapple on the 255. The Olsen machine has been grappling for quite some time and is the first I know off. Last I seen of that machine it was still three lever too. Lou Prince has been grappling with his as well.

We are not as far ahead with the modifications as I would like to be as we have been getting on top of the maintenance first. Do have a grapple camera on the way.

Does anyone happen to know the brand and model for the travel controls for the 255? I have a leaking one. I wish the Thunderbird parts manuals had the OEM part numbers for these things and not the Thunderbird ones. Also have the files for the profile cutter if anyone is interested in coping my slew mounting.

Hello Furpo, that would be a handful operating with the 3 levers. I have a Falcon Grapple camera for about a year now and loving it.
We have had no problem with the swing motor mount lots of problems with the gear reduction though.
With the trans Twin Disc monk.. I can shift up on the fly like 3rd through 5th but no down shifting without backing off on the throttle to hard on it.

 

[duff duff]

Removing the wheeled carrier and fitted a tracked undercarrige

 

[furpo]

Found ty90 9043
https://touch.trademe.co.nz/listing/view/1434224456

 

[furpo]

View attachment 173324 View attachment 173325 View attachment 173326 Removing the wheeled carrier and fitted a tracked undercarrige

Looks good guys. Back at work is it?

 

[Hallback]

Any owner history on number 9043?