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Coast Logger

camptramp

camptramp

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 13, 2013
Messages
6,302
Location
The warm land on Vancuver Island
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Retired Logger Retired Part time pebble hauler
Interesting wreck . A road lightly covered with snow , trucks are probably not using water to keep brakes cool . Did truck get going to fast , brakes to hot and fade ? Corner is turning to left . Truck couldn't make corner and drifted to right , should have upset to right side . Right tire tracks ran over stump roots , was it enough to throw weight of load to left and spill load on road ? Looks like some damage to front differential and truck rear suspension .
 
V

VI TL

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 29, 2020
Messages
84
Location
Vancouver Island
The accident happened late 70’s early 80’s and I don’t remember everything that happened. The truck did go up onto the stump and debris which caused the truck to roll over onto the left side, good thing or it would have gone over the bank down into the fell and bucked. You are right, the trucks were not using water. You can see that other trucks had been on the road. This trucks tracks, by looking at the picture, seems like the tires were not sliding but were turning. What caused the truck to leave the road? I can’t recall. Could have been going to fast. Steering tires may have lost grip and couldn’t make the corner.
 
camptramp

camptramp

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 13, 2013
Messages
6,302
Location
The warm land on Vancuver Island
Occupation
Retired Logger Retired Part time pebble hauler
VI TL said:
The accident happened late 70’s early 80’s and I don’t remember everything that happened. The truck did go up onto the stump and debris which caused the truck to roll over onto the left side, good thing or it would have gone over the bank down into the fell and bucked. You are right, the trucks were not using water. You can see that other trucks had been on the road. This trucks tracks, by looking at the picture, seems like the tires were not sliding but were turning. What caused the truck to leave the road? I can’t recall. Could have been going to fast. Steering tires may have lost grip and couldn’t make the corner.
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I think your correct , the first trucks down a frosty road with a dusting of snow gets a little traction . The following trucks get to travel on the compact icy surface . If you look real hard at the front steering tires , they don't show an awful lot of tread . Get a little bunk bound , no bite for the steering tires and things go wrong in a hurry . I hope the driver didn't get injured , the truck went over on his side .
 
V

VI TL

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 29, 2020
Messages
84
Location
Vancouver Island
Holberg 1971-72. Wooden tree winch. V 12 Cummins, air start. A lot of power and speed. First time I ran it, first turn, the rigging disappeared over the bank, when the crew blew go ahead, I thought they had hooked up a small turn, you could not see the rigging until it hit the landing. Yarding uphill, the turn appeared with three large hemlocks. The yarder did not slow down even with that turn on. Couple days later I familiarized another operator on the machine. A few days after that the machine broke down with a turn hooked on. As it was close to lunch the crew came into the landing. The mechanic fixed the machine and the operator started yarding the turn in. He noticed that the lines were going slack, so he peered up at the tree through the opening above the drums. The wooden spar had broken below the guy lines near the blocks. The spar fell over, and all eight guy lines hit the ground. Luckily, with the crew in the landing, no one was hurt. Some of the crew dove under the machine. One guy line hit the mechanics truck and caused some damage. The spar fell away from the machine and crew and the top with guy lines came straight down. I don’t think they ever found out what caused it, but some one said that they had not swung the blocks in time. Not sure if that would cause it. Missed that by a few days, not the only time I missed a spar coming down by a couple of days.
 

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J

Jumbo

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 12, 2010
Messages
689
Location
Black Diamond WA
Occupation
retired
VI TL said:
Holberg 1971-72. Wooden tree winch. V 12 Cummins, air start. A lot of power and speed. First time I ran it, first turn, the rigging disappeared over the bank, when the crew blew go ahead, I thought they had hooked up a small turn, you could not see the rigging until it hit the landing. Yarding uphill, the turn appeared with three large hemlocks. The yarder did not slow down even with that turn on. Couple days later I familiarized another operator on the machine. A few days after that the machine broke down with a turn hooked on. As it was close to lunch the crew came into the landing. The mechanic fixed the machine and the operator started yarding the turn in. He noticed that the lines were going slack, so he peered up at the tree through the opening above the drums. The wooden spar had broken below the guy lines near the blocks. The spar fell over, and all eight guy lines hit the ground. Luckily, with the crew in the landing, no one was hurt. Some of the crew dove under the machine. One guy line hit the mechanics truck and caused some damage. The spar fell away from the machine and crew and the top with guy lines came straight down. I don’t think they ever found out what caused it, but some one said that they had not swung the blocks in time. Not sure if that would cause it. Missed that by a few days, not the only time I missed a spar coming down by a couple of days.
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You bet not swinging the blocks would cause it. I helped the bull gang rig trees and hang guy lines. that also would bring a top down. Bull gang hooker said that was the best part of a steel tube; having a fairlead in the top of the tube.
 
J

Jumbo

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689
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Black Diamond WA
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retired
Reading the Holberg story 1971-72, post 150, how many people are left that worked a cold deck machine and helped move sled rigs? I'm 70, and I set chokers on a cold deck machine, and we moved 3 or 4 times summer of 71. The next spring, the remaining sled rigs were cut up for scrap and everything was tubes from then on.
There has to be a bunch still around, I hope...
 
V

VI TL

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 29, 2020
Messages
84
Location
Vancouver Island
Jumbo said:
You bet not swinging the blocks would cause it. I helped the bull gang rig trees and hang guy lines. that also would bring a top down. Bull gang hooker said that was the best part of a steel tube; having a fairlead in the top of the tube.
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Thanks for that info. Probably that is what brought the tree down. Only 50 years for me to find out.
 
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