British Columbia Forest Products Ltd.

[Born2clearcut]

206 sitting in the landing

 

[camptramp]

206 sitting in the landing

The #206 HDX Hayes with #73 Log Loader behind it . The #73 was a Model 6 Northwest Grade Shovel converted to a Log Loader . This picture was taken around 1956 before operators cab was elevated and was still using "Tongs" to pick up logs later it would be set up to load logs with "Grapples" . I don't know when that Machine was built as a grade shovel , but it was still loading logs in 1980 .

 

[camptramp]

Hiked into the Bear Creek Skidder with a couple of friends on Sunday .

 

[camptramp]

More from Sunday

 

[Hank R]

Nice that you and your friends went for a hike.. Thanks

 

[wornout wrench]

Camptramp,
Do you have any history on the skidder?

 

[dirty4fun]

Looks like you found some very interesting equipment. Amazing what is left out there in the timber, what a good find!

 

[camptramp]

Camptramp,
Do you have any history on the skidder?

I wasn't around when the abandoned Diesel Skidder we hiked into first arrived in the Port Renfrew area . Its my understanding it was used in the Harris Creek area to begin with . When the Steam Skidder was scrapped in the early 1950's at the Bear Creek Camp . The Diesel Skidder was moved to the Bear Creek area to replace it . Sid "Skidder" Smith ran the Steam Skidder and took over the Diesel Skidder . Sid use to spend every second Saturday doing Running repairs & Maintenance on the Skidder , quite often he took his son Stuart with him . On one occasion I was invited to go along . The Skidder was rigged up on the "Three Rivers M/L" with a "Loading Pot" and "Heal Boom" for loading out the logs yarded by the Skidder . Stu & I spent most of the day fishing for Trout . After Sid finished his repairs , he fired up the Skidder and ran the "Bicycle Carriage" out the Skyline part ways to the "Backend" and brought it back to the Landing . In 1964 or 1965 when the Skidder finished the setting it was yarding , the "Blocks Rigging and Lines{cables}" were stripped off the Spar Tree and Yarder , the two Cummins Engines were also removed . The Skidder was left sitting on the Landing where it sat and the "Home Spar Tree" left standing . And there it remains the Yarder's Sled rotting away moss & ferns growing on it and the Home Spar Tree is rotten and collapsed . The road into it deactivated , culverts and bridges taken out , brush grown up in some areas and blow down and trees with roots have slid down off high side blocking road . A tough hike every couple of years but we made it .

 

[Born2clearcut]

Something has gone wrong during loading 206. Don't know the story on this. What I do know it is never good when the RCMP are on site.

 

[camptramp]

Something has gone wrong during loading 206. Don't know the story on this. What I do know it is never good when the RCMP are on site.

The forest Industry is one that has many things and activity's going on around workers that can and do go wrong . A common saying on the West Coast of British Columbia was to "Stay out of the Bight" meaning stay out of area's considered Dangerous . Myself and many of my generation were fortunate to have worked in the Industry at a time when more emphasize was put on good production by a safe means , rather than a reckless "Hi Ball" attitude and top production with little concern for workers welfare . There are to many unwritten rules to write here and there are to many fellow "Loggers" I worked with , that from their pasted experience steered myself and other "Greenhorns" in a safe direction . You know who you are if you are reading this "post" thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge of safe practice's with us .
The pictures shown are from Harris Creek Camp in BCFP Renfrew Div. . I remember a day in the mid 1950's when someone came to the Port Renfrew Elementary School and took home to Harris Creek Camp a fellow student in grade 2 or 3? whom we never seen again . At supper my parents spoke of a "Fatality" at work that day . A worker on a Loading side , loading with "Tongs" had been struck my a log that sipped off the partly loaded logging truck .

 

[Born2clearcut]

I probably asked before but I'm not shy so I'll ask again. What year did BCFP switch from yellow colours to the orange and green paint scheme?

 

[camptramp]

I probably asked before but I'm not shy so I'll ask again. What year did BCFP switch from yellow colours to the orange and green paint scheme?

BCFP started trying different colour scheme's around 1972-74 . The #6-253 and #6-254 were HDX Hayes built in 1974 or 1975 were both painted orange , white and green at factory .

 

[Born2clearcut]

Thanks Al. Had a buddy ask but couldn't remember. I knew you would know .

BCFP started trying different colour scheme's around 1972-74 . The #6-253 and #6-254 were HDX Hayes built in 1974 or 1975 were both painted orange , white and green at factory .

 

[camptramp]

Dave Whiskin Collection BCFP Caycuse Div. ist picture #317 Washington TL6 operator Brian Schultz loading out from a View Spar Telescoping Steel Tower HDX Hayes Log truck #6-252 . 2nd picture HDX Hayes #6-251 Alvin Eckert , Woods Foreman Jack Messer 3rd picture HDX Hayes Jack Messer , Roy Schultz , Alvin Eckert .

 

[Len Burton]

More from Sunday View attachment 204005 View attachment 204006 View attachment 204007 View attachment 204008

Is this your second time in Al. Looks like the old home tree finally gave way. Great pictures.

 

[camptramp]

Is this your second time in Al. Looks like the old home tree finally gave way. Great pictures.

Yes Len this is from our second hike into the old skidder , the Home tree had collapsed long before our first hike into it . The guylines and tree plates are high off the ground , hung up amongst the new growth trees . The rotten sections of the wood have broken down into smaller chunks . When it comes time to harvest the new growth trees , it will be quite a challenge to deal with the guylines and rigging that remains in that area .

 

[camptramp]

Something has gone wrong during loading 206. Don't know the story on this. What I do know it is never good when the RCMP are on site.

Les Way Collection BCFP Renfrew Div. Harris Creek Camp I recall an incident happening in the late 1950's I believe it was a Fall day , at the Port Renfrew Elementary School . A young girl ( don't recall her name) was take out of our class during the day . Later that day at Supper my father talked of an event that had happened at work that day . A log had slipped off a partly loaded logging truck , resulting in striking a worker on the ground being a fatality . The log truck is an HDX # 206 the loader is a Model 6 Northwest grade shovel converted to a log loader #73 loading with tongs , I don't believe it had an elevated cab at that time . It was loading the truck "over the cab" from a landing at a wooden spar tree .

 

[Len Burton]

Yes Len this is from our second hike into the old skidder , the Home tree had collapsed long before our first hike into it . The guylines and tree plates are high off the ground , hung up amongst the new growth trees . The rotten sections of the wood have broken down into smaller chunks . When it comes time to harvest the new growth trees , it will be quite a challenge to deal with the guylines and rigging that remains in that area .

 

[Len Burton]

Thanks for the new picks. I remember setting beads on #3 slackline that was yarding up hill above the skidder on Garbage Creek in 1964 or 65. It was interesting trying to figure out who was blowing whistles in the fog everything echoed. They shut down the Skidder in late 1965 literally just walked away from it leaving everything. Rick B and I went in and got all the SW gauges.

 

[camptramp]

Dave Whiskin Collection BCFP Caycuse Div. May 1987