Washington Iron Works and thier machines

[Kiwi Logger]

We just brought a new house and while moving I found a box of old photoes that I thought were long gone, here we were rigging the 137 around 1994-1995 I guess and the bottom Lug on the raising cylinder broke letting the tower go foward, lucky the two back guys were up high on deadmen and they caught it, one started pulling out so we parked the shovel on it. If any of you have rigged one you will know that if that tower starts going foward you have to jump quickly as you stand in the box in front of the tower as that is where the guy and jack levers are. Scared the hell out of me and the operator I have never seen a crew run so fast before. I ended up welding some heavy steel vertical behind the tower cradle and used the Haulback behind the Yarder and the two back guys to pull it back up then we started logging again a few days later while a new cylinder was being made.

 

[Redwood Climber]

WOW!!!!!!!!!!! That might be a little too much forward inclination.....lol. Seriously, I have never seen a telescoped tower that far over that didn't hit the ground. It takes quick thinking when things go wrong like that. If you work around towers long enough doing it long enough, it can and does happen. I'm sure the repairs on the raising cylinder were not cheap, but saving the tower probably saved you weeks of downtime & lots of money. It is amazing how a good crew can pull together to save the old girl.

Do we have a thread for "Close Calls? " TorkelH shared his near rollover in the "Yarders in Norway" thread........Great job! Great pictures! That's a " 5 star post" in my book! Thank you!

 

[TorkelH]

Fantastic pic's Kiwi logger and a great deal of luck no one got hurt. I can't imagine that the guys/stumps didn't break or snap off!

 

[JeremyM70]

WOW!!!!!!!!!!! That might be a little too much forward inclination.....lol. Seriously, I have never seen a telescoped tower that far over that didn't hit the ground. It takes quick thinking when things go wrong like that. If you work around towers long enough doing it long enough, it can and does happen. I'm sure the repairs on the raising cylinder were not cheap, but saving the tower probably saved you weeks of downtime & lots of money. It is amazing how a good crew can pull together to save the old girl.

Do we have a thread for "Close Calls? " TorkelH shared his near rollover in the "Yarders in Norway" thread........Great job! Great pictures! That's a " 5 star post" in my book! Thank you!

Here's the accident thread

https://www.heavyequipmentforums.com/showthread.php?17877-Logging-Accidents-And-They-Walked-Away.........

 

[Jim1960]

WOW!!!!!!!!!!! That might be a little too much forward inclination.....lol. Seriously, I have never seen a telescoped tower that far over that didn't hit the ground. It takes quick thinking when things go wrong like that. If you work around towers long enough doing it long enough, it can and does happen. I'm sure the repairs on the raising cylinder were not cheap, but saving the tower probably saved you weeks of downtime & lots of money. It is amazing how a good crew can pull together to save the old girl.

Do we have a thread for "Close Calls? " TorkelH shared his near rollover in the "Yarders in Norway" thread........Great job! Great pictures! That's a " 5 star post" in my book! Thank you!

I saw a 158 spar go over. We were across the draw rigging up a 137 when it happened. It was in the mid 80's and I was working at Miller Shingle Company, up Coal Creek out of Granite Falls Washington. We were all busy pulling notching guyline stumps and pulling haywire and such when we heard this loud clang and looked over to see a cloud of dust and the 158's tower bent over the hill off the landing. We we had a lot of big old fir on that show and she got a hard pull. One back quarter guy pulled the stump and the other one stripped the notch and the tube went over in lead with the pull. No one was hurt luckily. Well, the hook tender had a bruise ego, as he was the one who had picked the stumps and notched them.

 

[JeremyM70]

Washington 127 S/N 5997 at Elma WA

Found this 127 sitting alongside Hwy 12 in Elma, WA. Not sure if it is being used or not?

Processor next door looks like it got a little toasty.

 

[skadill]

Wet Washington

TL5 ? Trakloader.Got dewatered today ready for the metal yard tomorrow.last picture this one will have ever posed for.

 

[Hallback]

That yarder has been sitting there atleast 8 years or so. Did you go to the espresso stand at the pacific pride station the next driveway down...??? *HUBBA HUBBA*

Found this 127 sitting alongside Hwy 12 in Elma, WA. Not sure if it is being used or not?

Processor next door looks like it got a little toasty.

 

[075]

TL5 ? Trakloader.Got dewatered today ready for the metal yard tomorrow.last picture this one will have ever posed for.

I think it is a TL6 , TL5's cabs were on left hand side, if I am not mistaken.

 

[Murk100]

Whats the story on this baby, how did she end up in the Lake? Would have been a good boom anchor.......

TL5 ? Trakloader.Got dewatered today ready for the metal yard tomorrow.last picture this one will have ever posed for.

 

[skadill]

Whats the story on this baby, how did she end up in the Lake? Would have been a good boom anchor.......

There will be full vids on my YT channel soon ,the other got torched down to the same condition.Its connected to the Fraser River and is spring run off stil,l with 8 foot or so higher water levels currently than normal

 

[JeremyM70]

That yarder has been sitting there atleast 8 years or so. Did you go to the espresso stand at the pacific pride station the next driveway down...??? *HUBBA HUBBA*

Thanks for the info Haulback, nope didn't make it to the coffee stand. Was another Washington set up in the gravel pit behind it but I didn't get too close. Was another one further west a few miles in another gravel pit across from the old nuclear plant.

 

[Vigilant]

Thanks for the info Haulback, nope didn't make it to the coffee stand. Was another Washington set up in the gravel pit behind it but I didn't get too close. Was another one further west a few miles in another gravel pit across from the old nuclear plant.

The million dollar question is, did you stop at the little ice cream stand in Monte and grab a cone? That place was there when I was growing up, back in the Sixties. We used to stop by there on our way back from Lake Sylvia. Last time I was there was in '02, and the ice cream was still great.

 

[7.82Warbird]

Thanks for the info Haulback, nope didn't make it to the coffee stand. Was another Washington set up in the gravel pit behind it but I didn't get too close. Was another one further west a few miles in another gravel pit across from the old nuclear plant.

The other Washington that's set up in the gravel pit is an old Washington 158. The yarder set up in the pit right off Highway 12 is a Berger Marc III, I do believe. It hasn't worked in a few years.

 

[7.82Warbird]

The million dollar question is, did you stop at the little ice cream stand in Monte and grab a cone? That place was there when I was growing up, back in the Sixties. We used to stop by there on our way back from Lake Sylvia. Last time I was there was in '02, and the ice cream was still great.

I trust that you're referring to Gene's Stop & Go. It was owned, and is named after, the late Gene Braun - a good friend of my families. Gene's was always a treat when I was a kid back in the 70's and 80's and yes, it was still going strong the last time I checked.

 

[JeremyM70]

Nope don't know all the local hangouts, next time I head that way guess I'll stop for espresso in Elma in the morning and ice cream in Montesano on the way home
Thanks for the ID's on the gravel yarders, I thought I took a picture of the one in Elma but can't seem to find it at the moment.

 

[Hallback]

We should all get together some saturday am for breakfast and a yarder hunting excursion.

 

[JeremyM70]

We should all get together some saturday am for breakfast and a yarder hunting excursion.

Sounds good, we can start at Ramsey's and end at McPaul, though it looks like his yard is getting a little thin lately.

 

[Hallback]

Sounds good, we can start at Ramsey's and end at McPaul, though it looks like his yard is getting a little thin lately.

Ya, Bill scrapped most of his stuff a few years back as he was getting big $$ fines monthly for stormwater runoff. It was all BS but he said instead of giving them anymore of his money he would just scrap it out. Sad that the government drove that to happening.

 

[Kiwi Logger]

The crew was moving the 137 two weeks ago and the road collapsed and away she went as the back end went it ripped the top straight off the dolly, lucky the crew got her stabilized and a week later got her out, hopefully get her onto new job tomorrow and all rigged up. It had been raining pretty heavy and it just sunk when it slid over the bank, the brake man had to change his pants when it went as he was standing in there next to the engine working the brake lever.