"Back in the Day"

[jackd]

BC Airlines! I have a nice side view of one of the Beavers somewhere, and also some of a Trans-Provincial Otter.

I would be very interested in seeing those shots of the old BC Airlines equipment - any idea what year those were taken? As an aside, I happen to have a piece of skin from an old BC Airlines float plane, showing the airline crest up on my basement wall. Very rare it would seem, because I've only seen it in photos from the late '40s or '50s. I spotted it up in the Sunshine Coast area and I imagine that it came from a wreck.

 

[Born2clearcut]

I'll let trakloader to catch his breath and post a few .. These pictures are of Harris Creek Vancouver island 1953

 

[Born2clearcut]

Not sure where these are taken at assuming its Vancouver island the year is 1941

 

[BDFT]

Its amazing what those old timers did with just cable and hand tools and lots of steam power. Not having any work place health and safety around probably helped.

 

[trakloader]

More great pictures thanks again for sharing. Still amazed at the loads they put on those trucks. Had to be pretty darn careful loading them as it looks like there isn't much to keep the logs from rolling off, till done and tied down.

HDX may know for sure, but I don't think they tied the loads down back then. I remember Grandpa saying how he had to build the loads to stay on in those days. I also remember something about the chunk truck spending a lot of time picking up lost logs. I have a picture from the M&B days taken by my friend Terry, he caught a log falling off the truck. He mentioned that they weren't using binders in those days.

 

[trakloader]

I would be very interested in seeing those shots of the old BC Airlines equipment - any idea what year those were taken? As an aside, I happen to have a piece of skin from an old BC Airlines float plane, showing the airline crest up on my basement wall. Very rare it would seem, because I've only seen it in photos from the late '40s or '50s. I spotted it up in the Sunshine Coast area and I imagine that it came from a wreck.

There was a BC Airlines Beaver that crashed near Skidegate Lake in the 50's, and about a dozen years ago, they packed up the remains and sent them South. I understand that they are in storage awaiting rebuild. CF-GQM, three people died including the pilot. Three passengers survived. There were quite a few angry old timers when they did that, they felt it was almost like digging up a grave. I saw the plane tied down on the trailer, waiting for the ferry. It was still clearly identifiable as a BC Airlines plane.

 

[pabear52]

Hi guys, great pics from about 60yrs ago. There should be some nice regrowth in these places now. Can it still be cut or have the greenies got it all locked up like they have everywhere else? One thing that can be done with the right climate and conditions is grow trees for timber. Lets do it!

 

[Jim1960]

I think I saw some on this thread-if anyone has any pictures of the old "A" frame logging days of SE Alaska and B.C, I'd like to see some more. Thanks for posting some great pics already.

 

[jackd]

There was a BC Airlines Beaver that crashed near Skidegate Lake in the 50's, and about a dozen years ago, they packed up the remains and sent them South. I understand that they are in storage awaiting rebuild. CF-GQM, three people died including the pilot. Three passengers survived. There were quite a few angry old timers when they did that, they felt it was almost like digging up a grave. I saw the plane tied down on the trailer, waiting for the ferry. It was still clearly identifiable as a BC Airlines plane.

So they only pulled the wreck out a dozen years ago? With the value of a Beaver being what it is today, I'm surprised it wasn't back in service years ago. I went to a DHC-2 website and looked it up - S/N 88, built in 1950 and crashed in Cumshewa Inlet - three fatalities and three survivors. There's a photo there of it in BC Airlines livery - it has the same crest on the side of the fuselage that I have on my basement wall.

 

[HDX]

Funny that the topic of cinch lines come up right now. Yes we alway used chich lines (two) spaced about 12 feet apart. You could still load the crap out of the trucks and throw your lines over BUT when you went into a lean in the road the peaker (top log) would some times roll off and take your lines with it Most log loader operators were VERY good--if you pissed them off you got all big logs on one side of the truck and little ones on the other side-after a couple of those you had a habit of calling them "sir" and listening instead of talking. A couple weeks ago we had a bad one when two off-highway trucks(both Pacifics Thank God) had a head on sideswipe--The loaded truck was loaded with small logs (2nd growth) and the cinches were maybe too close together-- im not sure because I wasnt there- but this would allow the top two logs to swing out to the drivers side about 10 feet into the oncoming traffic--Driver didnt see them and when he met the empty truck coming towards him the other driver saw the two gunbarreled logs coming right for the cab. He threw himself down on the floor and the two logs came into the cab and broke off inside the truck!!! Pretty sobering sight So yes we still use chinch lines. When we were cross hauling out in the NitNat with the BCFP drivers --they didnt use cinch lines because they only loaded to the top of the stakes and flattened the load out They had the 9 foot high stakes wereas we had the 7 footers. I always liked their idea because they very rarely lost logs along the mainline

 

[Jdigger4130]

Great shots TL. I am curius is this your neck of the woods. I think it would be cool to go to the spots these were taken and see how nature handled it!! Those operations looked like the ol timers really were not afraid to bring it in!!! Luck for them they had Kenworth to help!!!!

 

[trakloader]

Great shots TL. I am curius is this your neck of the woods. I think it would be cool to go to the spots these were taken and see how nature handled it!! Those operations looked like the ol timers really were not afraid to bring it in!!! Luck for them they had Kenworth to help!!!!

Many of those pics were taken within ten minutes drive of home. There is nothing to see where the logging was done, the trees are too tall to get a good comparison shot. I can, however, take some shots in camp, where the old log dump was.

 

[jackd]

Yup, it grows back quick. I started as a tree planter at M & B in the mid '70s. When I head over to the West Coast (Tofino), some of the areas I planted in the Taylor River Fire burn are probably 40 feet tall now - if not higher.

 

[trakloader]

Funny that the topic of cinch lines come up right now. Yes we alway used chich lines (two) spaced about 12 feet apart. You could still load the crap out of the trucks and throw your lines over BUT when you went into a lean in the road the peaker (top log) would some times roll off and take your lines with it Most log loader operators were VERY good--if you pissed them off you got all big logs on one side of the truck and little ones on the other side-after a couple of those you had a habit of calling them "sir" and listening instead of talking. A couple weeks ago we had a bad one when two off-highway trucks(both Pacifics Thank God) had a head on sideswipe--The loaded truck was loaded with small logs (2nd growth) and the cinches were maybe too close together-- im not sure because I wasnt there- but this would allow the top two logs to swing out to the drivers side about 10 feet into the oncoming traffic--Driver didnt see them and when he met the empty truck coming towards him the other driver saw the two gunbarreled logs coming right for the cab. He threw himself down on the floor and the two logs came into the cab and broke off inside the truck!!! Pretty sobering sight So yes we still use chinch lines. When we were cross hauling out in the NitNat with the BCFP drivers --they didnt use cinch lines because they only loaded to the top of the stakes and flattened the load out They had the 9 foot high stakes wereas we had the 7 footers. I always liked their idea because they very rarely lost logs along the mainline

Wow, scary stuff. One of our loaders put all buckskins on a truck a couple of years ago, and one slid over the top, jill poked the road, and dented the top rad tank before ripping the driver's side mirror post off. Pretty close call for the driver! I did some checking, and back in the KW days they didn't use cinch straps at all. Why, I have no idea. Maybe a "golden boy" drove the chunk truck! I remember hearing about one load collapsing and killing the 2nd. loader, but I can't confirm that. Long before even Dad's time.

 

[Jdigger4130]

That would be really cool. I just went last week to Coos Bay Or, to see if log trucking was for me or not and was AMAZED at the rate of growth for Doug fir there!!!! Unreal. After the days work I think I will stay w being A carpenter for now but what A neat work place!!! Thanks again, the likleyhood of getting to see these places first hand is gonna be remote so this forum has been A real god send. I really appreciate this EXACT type of history!!!! I think A thread for "then and now" would be real cool and fun to see!!! Rad thread TL and all who share!!!! Thx!

 

[trakloader]

Here is the old cookhouse in Juskatla, probably mid 50's. They moved a bigger cookhouse in around 1962.

 

[trakloader]

Couple of cool cats in Juskatla, 1957.

 

[trakloader]

Just found this picture of Contract Logger's first yarder....:tong

 

[trakloader]

Awun Bay, 1940's.

Awun Bay camp. They skidded logs from the lake above. I hiked to this spot a few years ago, not much to see now.

 

[trakloader]

More, with some from 2008.