Skagit BX series yarder
The BX series yarder was very popular in the mid-to late 50s. These yarders typically had side controls were often air operated for frictions and sometimes brakes. Numbers typically ranged from the BX 200 to 300, 400, 500. Later machines with a large BU series such as a BU 70, BU 80, BU 90, BU 94, BU 98.
In later days big powerful machines like to BU 199 and others were introduced at the request of customers in those days. My recollection is that while quite a number of the BX 200 and 300s were built, with a relatively few of the larger units were built of this class, it had to wait for the 60s when the big BU machines were built.
On the BU side is my recollection a large in Skagit built quite large number of construction hoists that were the BU 140 and BU 140 YD, which obviously had a wider drum barrel. Considerable work was done at that time on a braking systems which allowed for downhill logging with the BU 140. Typically the BX machines had Skagit two speed airshift transmissions which were common until they had in the late 50s and early 60s. According to Jack McIntyre, one of Skagit strengths was the ability to build powerful machines before the advent of torque converters. The center idler shaft in conjunction with this two speed transmission made high-performance machines possible. I worked for Danny Ecomovich who was the foreman in the transmission department, and while I could assemble the things I didn't know what I was looking at. The guys in the gear department did a fairly decent job of cutting a better than commercial quality transmission gear. My recollection is and is a been more than 30 years ago was that the two speed transmission was sized for optimal operation during yarding and haul back pulls. As I mentioned this is all explained to me by Skagit's chief engineer when I was about 15 one evening at his house.
Wonderful times!
