S. Madill, Blacksmith, Founded in 1911 in Nanaimo BC

[jackd]

That could have been worse. Good to see that it happened on a fairly flat stretch of road and not on some goat trail up in the hills. I imagine that it was a bit of a pain to get the 075 off the deck - did they build the ramp right there?

I remember an 044 that came off a low bed out in Ash River - way out toward Deep Lake. The rear inside wheels of the low bed sank on the inside of a corner and the Madill rolled off down the bank and onto its roof/side. They grabbed the old timers and developed a plan. I think they grabbed two D-9's from the grade department and started hanging blocks galore on the machine and on the old stumps that still lined the upper side of the road (They were so old that I wondered if they would even hold under the load) . They strung more bloody lines back and forth than I could have imagined and finally tail hold the lines probably on the Yarder. What they achieved was an amazing mechanical advantage by creating multiple purchases. Then I think they took up the slack with the Cats and that Yarder rolled back onto its feet easy as pie. Being a young guy, I was amazed at how they figured out how to do this but they old guys never even blinked an eye. I learned lots of things from that generation.

 

[075]

It was folding neck lowbed .We just jacked the low side up and blocked it then went up on the fifthwheel on the truck and put the jacks down.(jacks would not lift the lowbed by them selfs)Then drove the truck out from under the lowbed, then lowered the goose neck and I walked it off, Easy as pie. It was the third time we have broken the u bolts on the lowbed.

 

[jackd]

We only hand one low bed during my time at Sproat Lake Division and it had a fixed goose neck. You only got on and off that thing from the rear end. I must say that I've seen a range of later designs on this forum with all forms of goose neck variations - and they all seemed like great improvements to me.

These folding snorkels that were developed at the end of the line machine era really fascinate me. You guys must have a great time keeping all that rigging from snagging on itself when you extend it. I'm glad I wasn't a chaser in the later day, trying to splice lines for those things - you would have had your hands full. I just remember the good old days when we'd break the wooden snorkel and have to spend a couple hours rigging up a new one.

 

[Kiwisurfer009]

123-13

I cut alot of wood for that yarder! Just 20 mins out of Rotorua when i was cutting for Mook. Then i went to Gisborne and cut and train a few guys breaking out and cutting there.

 

[075]

Its really easy to unfold .You just boom up and let the haulback go untill the end of the snorkel is on the ground and back up while booming down. When you get the boom on the ground two guys just hook up four guylines, put the pins in and boom up and you are logging. No splices just pressed eyes in all lines

 

[Kiwi Logger]

Just downloaded a few photoes off my camera , they arnt that great as was raining pretty heavy when I took them, just started slacklining.

 

[JeremyM70]

Just downloaded a few photoes off my camera , they arnt that great as was raining pretty heavy when I took them, just started slacklining.

I'll bet that 046 feels right at home, looks just like another rainy day in the hills of Oregon.

 

[skadill]

Madill 071 Gravel Yarder

Still yarding, just different resources.Found and photoed last week.GM powered

 

[TorkelH]

046 - carrier?

Skadill - I have stolen this picture from your Youtube. Do any have idea of the carrier, is that a Sparmatic? It was built 2 046's with GM in 1978, one (10015) belonged to Ira Hagins in Bellingham and one (10014) to George Percy Logging. 10015 had Sparmatic carrier and spar. It's no record of the carrier for Percys yarder. Percy's yarder (without carrier and spar) is at Ramsey's in Washington.

 

[jackd]

J-88

Torkel - by the look of the bottom of the tower and the two rear jacks, I would say there is definitely a Sparmatic flavour to that machine

 

[TorkelH]

Yes Jackd, it's obvious when I see your picture. But I think all the Sparmatics I have seen pictures of only have 2 axles? Following Jeremy's and mine Excel-Madill-list this must be Ira Hagins yarder, which is mentioned as mtd on Sparmatic. Maybe someone else know something more about this??

 

[Username]

No, but it was owned by the same guys that bought B&M's unit not long ago. Word is they have a few they wanted converted to hydrostatic tracks, one was in the yard last Monday and the tank tracks got torched off. Supposedly they had mucked out any brush or oil in the bottom of the machine beforehand, but apparently firewatch was too short... Burned the replacement engine, a Cat Modern had installed, torque convertor, brakes, etc. Guess they're going to pull the drum shafts and check those too. I just heard about it Sunday, haven't been by to take a picture yet.

Didn't get much for pics yesterday as a few mechanics we're looking busy. Appears the donor undercarriage is in the foreground, but they haven't fully removed the old undercarriage yet. Gutted as far as a power unit goes.

 

[Hayesno1]

Some pics of Madill A-frame in Squamish. Year is 1980.

 

[Hayesno1]

More from same A-frame in Squamish. Nice load! Truck is KW W900 with water tank - don't see many of those anymore.
jackd; do you regonize the dump

 

[jackd]

I Remember....

And I've attached a picture of the Royal Hudson 2860 doing a Double Header with the 3716 in Squamish in the late '90s with said 'A' frame in the background. Your shots of the 'green' clad sawmill in the background on the other side of the river estuary also bring back memories. I spent many a time lurking in that area watching the action across the water from where the train would park. There's still a dry land sort farther out on the spit with the associated log dumping set-up, but I imagine that this will also be driven out as they re-zone the area.

This was the last run for the Hudson under the BC Rail flag. From what I was told the crew overfilled the water tank and hydrauliced the boiler/running gear. She coasted the whole way with the 3716 doing the work to and from North Vancouver. Ah but she lived to run another day under the banner of the local Railway Museum.

 

[jackd]

Lemare Lake Logging

Here's an artsie shot by a fellow rider. My experience with grapple yarding was back when we used old grade D-9's with a pipe mounted on the 'C' frame. This shot was an eye opener for me as I had never seen how they mounted a pipe on an old excavator.

 

[69hayes]

Would have got a pic of the builders plate but there were too many Hornets around it and in it

 

[jackd]

69hayes - there seems to be an unusually large amount of old equipment up in your neck of the woods - from what you have been posting. I have to make a plan of getting up there soon.

 

[69hayes]

Yes, before the scrappers get to cutting it up

 

[69hayes]

This ones about three miles from the other and just as overgrown