Skagit Iron and Steel Works, Sedro Wooley, Washington

[Hallback]

The Bergers were a great hoist but I have been team Skagit since a kid.

 

[Blk prince]

Hallback,I sent you a pm. With the new format I am not sure if it sailed off or where it is. Let me know if you have received. I wish the icons were much simpler. Bp

 

[Hallback]

I don't see one, not sure?

 

[Blk prince]

Problem with pm is I cannot find the send icon. I hit what I think is send one hope for results

 

[Blk prince]

How about now?

 

[Hallback]

Received & thank you!

 

[jcurtis4082]

Your facts regarding this machine are substantially correct. The story that I have is that one large timber company purchased a BX 500 which had two Cummings NHBIS engines in it. Weight of the machine was between 62,000 and 67,000 pounds depending on configuration. Baseplate was 20' x 11'. Main drum would hold 1 5/8 to 1800 feet, haul back was 7/8 inches to 5600 feet. Straw drum 5000 feet of 7/16. Diesel horsepower up to 500 could be had.

There are epic stories about this machine. In one case the woods boss was skeptical about the ability of the machine to pull as advertised. They hooked the mainline around a fairly substantial fir and yanked it out of the ground stump and all. Another case, a foreman was informed that the boss was tired of buying rigging and if the operator ever put that thing in low gear again he would be fired. For most applications the BX 300 was more than adequate. That was why so few BX-500 were built.

Here is a photo of a BX500, that was originally sold to Deep River Logging, in Fairbanks, AK. It was purchased from Reddicop in Ketchikan by LTI/Knick in 1975. My family and I operated it in 1976/77 on Peger lake.

This one had a Cat D-397 and a Chrysler flat head industrial engine for a starter.

The tower is a Berger: https://flic.kr/p/99b3Pn

16 yard Sauerman bucket: https://flic.kr/p/9ahnSj

Me working on the haulback: https://flic.kr/p/99edZ1

It was later sold to H&H Construction in Fairbanks and scrapped. They also had a BX 2000 that I set up with a 16V-17, Berger tower and a Northwest 190D as the tower "older/mover", while at M.A. Segale Construction in 1977. It was scrapped as well.

 

[Jumbo]

It was later sold to H&H Construction in Fairbanks and scrapped. They also had a BX 2000 that I set up with a 16V-17, Berger tower and a Northwest 190D as the tower "older/mover", while at M.A. Segale Construction in 1977. It was scrapped as well.[/QUOTE]

Before what I assume was the scrapping date, it sat alongside I5 at the Toutle river after dredging Mt. St. Helens. I remember seeing it in Mario's Tukwila yard for a few years.

 

[jcurtis4082]

It was later sold to H&H Construction in Fairbanks and scrapped. They also had a BX 2000 that I set up with a 16V-17, Berger tower and a Northwest 190D as the tower "older/mover", while at M.A. Segale Construction in 1977. It was scrapped as well.

Before what I assume was the scrapping date, it sat alongside I5 at the Toutle river after dredging Mt. St. Helens. I remember seeing it in Mario's Tukwila yard for a few years.[/QUOTE]

We set the BX 2000 for a job at the Port of Anacortes. When St. Helens blew, they set it up down on the river. I saw it set up near North Pole, AK for the last time in the summer of 1987. I may have seen it when I visited again in 1997, but... (-;

I operated and worked on the BX 500 all the way down to the main drive shaft and Morse "Silent Chain" when it broke just before the Forth of July, 1976. We bought the only hulk BX 500 we could find in Eugene and shipped it to Fairbanks for spares. The new chain, Morse Hi-Vo, needed to have new sprockets hobbed to install along with a new chain. This time consuming, expensive operation consumed much of our season that year.

The BX 2000 (16V-71, not 17) occupied a winter and spring for us to setup. It was an interesting project where we used quite a few pieces from the boneyard. We hired Skagit Engineer, Lyle Cheldelin to design a new skidding fairlead, under the main to accommodate a skyline. This was fabricated by Petersen Brothers in Bellingham.

The Skagit transmission behind the V12 Cummins was trash. The engine was "tired". So there were a couple of the 16V's on site and I went to Vancouver BC and bought a couple of 6061 Allison transmissions. We engineered a 4:1 planetary wheel end off of a 988 loader to accept sprocket to get the right drum speeds. Seen here: https://flic.kr/p/9aedDM

The original "carrier" was to be an 80D Northwest, but that was too light, so Breezy Johnston found a 190D that was adequate for the job.

I never personally operated the BX 2000. I saw it in operation and studied the per/yard costs of this and other Sauerman drag scraper systems. Draglines produce gravel from a pond more efficiently than a high-lead yarder re-purposed for a Sauerman. IMO (-;

 

[Hallback]

Bill has an old BX sitting in his yard still.

 

[jcurtis4082]

By the freeway? I haven't stopped in there for 35 years... What's the last name? Is it the same guy all of these years? I see all of the iron there when I drive by...

I stuck with draglines, cranes and shovels when I worked for Seattle Tractor. Then I moved on to teaching HD/Truck for 24 years in Bellingham, so I'm behind on my hoist experience.

 

[Rusty Grapple]

Working in the Fairbanks area in 2014 on one of my visits. You may recognize this machine as one of the units used in several of the locations you mentioned including the dredging in the Castle Rock area after the eruption of Mt St Helens. It is still going today and runs whenever they need it too.

Interestingly enough, there is the carcass of a BX2000 laying on this same property.

 

[Rusty Grapple]

Some more pics of that machine working

 

[Rusty Grapple]

Here is the Skagit BX2000 hoist in parts at a location outside Fairbanks Alaska. This is on the same property as the Skagit/Northwest combo unit posted above, and there are many other neat old-growth era yarders working in that same area. Several Bergers, lots of Skagit (BU-98's are especially popular around Fairbanks), at least one Madill 046, and several big Washingtons. All are dredging aggregate up there.

 

[dirty4fun]

Using a 16 yard sauerman bucket on a yarder would have to be moving a lot of gravel in a short time. There is a fellow using a couple Linkbelt draglines pulling gravel with a sauerman bucket. I told him a few years ago that he should be using a yarder, but didin't know that it would handle a 16 yard bucket. I will have to share that fact and a few pictures, too.

 

[jcurtis4082]

Here is the Skagit BX2000 hoist in parts at a location outside Fairbanks Alaska. This is on the same property as the Skagit/Northwest combo unit posted above, and there are many other neat old-growth era yarders working in that same area. Several Bergers, lots of Skagit (BU-98's are especially popular around Fairbanks), at least one Madill 046, and several big Washingtons. All are dredging aggregate up there.

The Madil and A frame arrangement was setup by LTI/Knick in '76. I left in '87, so I've not kept up with it. I don't recognize that 2000 hulk...I think that the interlock brake system is different that what was originally on the 2000/NW setup. But that's been a long time ago. (; Thanks for the discussion!

 

[Hallback]

Well, the upgrade to 315/80/22.5 tubeless radial tires on our T-100HDSP carrier made all the difference on our last move. Goodbye 12.00/20 tubed bias!

Only cost $5k to do.

 

[Blk prince]

Well, the upgrade to 315/80/22.5 tubeless radial tires on our T-100HDSP carrier made all the difference on our last move. Goodbye 12.00/20 tubed bias!

Only cost $5k to do.

Hallback,what problem did you have with 12.00/20?

 

[Hallback]

Being 40 y/o tube type bias tires we just kept blowing them out on our moves across the pavement. We keep t at 38mph or under also.

 

[Hallback]

I received the manual yesterday, all I can say is THANK YOU!
Please let me know where to send the reimbursement.

Thank you again!