Logging Railroads and their Equipment

[075]

Some pictures of the last logging railroad still working

 

[Vigilant]

Nice pics. Thanks.

I wonder of Simpson is still runnung a log train out of their Shelton operation.

My dad used to run a reload and log train at Vail. His one and only lokie was a 1949 Fairbanks H10-44. I was there when they rebuilt the engine, and upgraded it to 1400 HP, I believe, which still isn't much. I have some fond memories of sitting on a loaded log car and riding the train from the reload to the Vail shop, down about 5 miles of tracks. The engineer was Mr. Ernie Kell, whom I believe still resides in Ranier, WA at a ripe old age. His brakeman was the legendary Jim Barrett, who is now deceased. His son Scott is still around.

 

[Vigilant]

How many horsepower are those Englewood lokies, about 2000 each?

 

[075]

I really do not know , its in another div ,will try to find out and get more pictures of other stuff they have

 

[Vigilant]

Do they load rail cars at a sort yard, or at a reload?

God stuff here. When time permits, I will share a few thoughts about the Vail reload.

 

[075]

They have several reloads.

 

[akroadrunner]

Trains used to come out to Aloha & pick up box cars full of shingles, shakes, and lumber. The went on up to Moclips and did the same thing there. Was always a bunch of boxcars sitting on the siding only a couple hundred yards from the Company house we lived in at the time. We had 2 old wood and glass show cases we kept squirrels and chipmunks in. "Where is he going with this say you?" The box cars also hauled grain, and we could usually get some if we found a crack in the interior. One day my brother Dan and I were in a car getting free squirrel food when the locomotive hit the line of cars we were in to get 'hooked up'. It caused the door we had entered through so slam shut. The door on the other side was latched partially open. But only a few inches. We panicked. Sure we were headed for Chicago. I could just squeeze my 8 year old head through the opening. Dan convinced me that I should be able to get out since a cat could go through anything it could stick it's head through. I did manage to scrape my way through and out. I was going to get help, but 11 year old Dan told me to wait to see if he could get out. He got his head through, but I think he left half his butt getting the rest of him out. ALWAYS made sure the door was latched in the open position after that. One more thing on the squirrels. We actually had several flying squirrels. Most people have never even seen one since they are nocturnal. Dad found a nest of them with babies in a tree he fell.

Keep the train pics coming.

 

[Vigilant]

Funny how kids have to take their lumps and learn these lessons in life. Like the time back in 1968 when I locked my dad in an outhouse on the side of Mt. St. Helens that later blew. That did not end well.

 

[Vigilant]

075: Got any pics of their reloads? I would imagine they use stackers in this day and age.

 

[075]

On page 57 of the madill thread post #849 Torkelh has some pictures of camp 6 reload machine.They use stackers at the dry land to unload thats where I took the pictures (Beaver Cove Dryland)

 

[SPMiller]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMRapBFp5IA

 

[Hayesno1]

075: Got any pics of their reloads? I would imagine they use stackers in this day and age.

I got some pics of their reloads. I will post them later this week. As I recall they have 4 or 5 reloads.

 

[trakloader]

An interesting fact, those locies at Englewood operated right alongside the steam locies for a time. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UlNBydfRZo I would suggest watching the whole series, some neat footage from a very interesting period.

 

[TorkelH]

Englewood

Some old and some new pictures, seems that they direct load the cars if they get the chance...

 

[TorkelH]

Englewood cont...

Loading device at camp 6 (more pictures in the Madill thread, winch is an 046)

 

[245dlc]

Are those Dynamic brakes on the SW1200's? I bought a book years ago called "Logging by Rail" and it's about the operations on Vancouver Island I remember them saying something about the SW1200's having dynamic brakes. Love the pictures keep them coming.

 

[Hayesno1]

Holbrook Dysons reload A-frame at Vernon on VI. Also pic of their Western Star trucks. In same picture you can see railroad crossing sign.

 

[Hayesno1]

Pics from Maquilla reload further North from Vernon. I think this is the 3rd reload site when counting them from South of railway line.

 

[mitch504]

Back before my time, the Atlantic Coast Lumber Co. used direct loaded trains to log the coastal swamps here. There is a steam engine that derailed sometime in the 20's or 30's on land that now belongs to my brother. It sank above the boiler in the mud and they were unable to recover it. When my grandfather first showed it to me, about 35 yrs. ago, you could still recognize the cab and funnel. A few years ago my brother and I made the hike, (3 miles of swamp),:tong to find it. All we found was a pile of rust and scrap. If I ever get rich, I might take a trackhoe in and see what remains under the ground.

In a related story, my father was working for International Paper in the early '50s running a D4 w/ a fire plow. He got a paniced call to go to Kilsock Bay,(a Carolina Bay, a unique and treacherous geological phenomenon, not a body of water). It is about 10 miles from where the locomotive is. A crew was using 2 brand new D9s to bed land for replanting, and one sank. They tried to pull it out with the other 9 and it got stuck. When my father got there he could put a stick against the first tractor and tell that it was slowly continuing to sink. When they got several winch-equipped fire tractors in, they were able to recover the second D9, but, even after bringing in several more large dozers, 2 draglines, and alot more equipment, keeping the operators onsite 24hrs/day for 3 days, they never recovered that month old D9. It slowly sank completely beneath the surface.

 

[mitch504]

Vigilant, since you are in NC, you should visit the NC transportation Museum. They have some good info about rail logging on the east coast.
http://www.nctrans.org/