Logging Sleighs

[jeeper61]

I know there was a thread about this while back I ran across these photos in a Great Northern Paper Historical Archive 

Judging by #3 I would say KOO is correct  

[jeeper61]

And the craftsman making the ski runners date 1949

 

 

[mike newman]

great pics...thanks  !!

Mike

[poor farmer/logger]

@captain_crunch @King of Obsolete

@hardtail

 

Figured id tag you guys. 

Thanks for sharing the pics. That’s quite a load if they’re pulling that whole train of sleighs as one. 

[acem]

Wow those are great pics.

[Sledgehammer]

Nice pictures!

[dale560]

19 hours ago, jeeper61 said:

And the craftsman making the ski runners date 1949

 

 

Just imagine all the manual labor and skills required To make those pieces

[jeeper61]

1 hour ago, dale560 said:

Just imagine all the manual labor and skills required To make those pieces

I would imagine 1949 is still pretty early in the north woods the old ways die hard in remote areas.

The picture of the Trac-Trac -Tractors on the rail cars would be no earlier 1953 the pick up looks to be an R series 

The train is steam they used a lot of steam into the late 50's in the remote areas

 

[MinnesotaFarmall]

I was born way too late... Ha

[jeeper61]

I understand everybody likes photo's so here are some more from the pulp wood logging 

Great Northern Paper was from Millinocket, Maine founded in 1897 they made it in one form or another until 2014.

The paper industry took a big hit from recycling, the mills were no longer needed at the “source”

Most of their operations have been torn down in Millinocket which at one time was the largest producer of newspaper in the world.

Logs were run on the rivers up to 1971

1) GNP Mill 1907

2) Log sluice 1917 

3) Horse Skidding

4) Tending log run

 

[jeeper61]

Here is a few more 

 

1) horse drawn Sleigh of pulp wood 

2) Big pile of pulp wood at the mill 

3) They used horses on the winter roads so they had to bring in fuel for them

4) Horses where used into the 50's at the cutting sites 

 

 

 

 

 

[jeeper61]

Here's some more

 GNP Logging operations were in the North Maine Woods they had several farms in the early days that supplied the fuel for the horses and the men.

The largest one is Pittston Farm at  Seboomook Lake, just south of the point where the North Branch Penobscot River drains into the lake it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places

They built dams on many of the lakes to control the river levels for the log runs  

 

1. Pittston Farm -1904
2. Aerial of dam being built at Churchill  
3. A float on one of the lakes
4. A crew at a logging camp mess hall 

 

[poor farmer/logger]

Wish I had more pictures from when my grandfather had his steam powered mill in the bush back in the 30tys-early 40tys. They had a small crew but cut a lot of lumber there year round. Can’t imagine trying to keep that steam engine going in -30 weather. Got some pay slips around here somewhere yet. The steam engineer was the highest paid man. Think it was around a dollar a day. 

[jeeper61]

Yes it would have been nice if previous generations had documented with photos more,

Although I can't blame them I have a camera in my pocket all the time and still don't take nearly enough.

Most people would have been lucky to have a camera back then, and then have thought to document work activities, most photos were from family gatherings.

I have some from my mothers side like Grampa with the first car in the family but sadly not many from his work he was a steam engineer with the CN.

Mom grew up in Rouyn-Noranda ,Quebec and Grampa ran the freight train between there and Montreal.

Anyway I hope I am not boring you guys with these photo's it amazes me what the old industrial companies had to do just to bring their products to market back in the day.

In many cases they had to mine and harvest the materials themselves to ensure the supply and keep it out of the hands of the competition    

[IH766]

We're about 20 miuntes away from Riding Mountain National Park, it became a Federal park sometime in the early 30's I believe. Before that there used to be quite a a bit of logging take place in the mountains. In WW2 the government actually had a POW camp in Riding Mountain, where German prisoners would be kept to cut lumber and complete other tasks. At times they were even able to travel down into Dauphin for a day. We also have Duck Mountain a provincial park where some logging still takes place. These pictures are all in Manitoba, with most being taken in and around either RMNP or the Duck Mountains.

 

 

[IH766]

[jeeper61]

IH766 Excellent photo's thank you for sharing!!

There were a lot of converted rail steam engines used in the Timber industry.

There is a whole rail way line, 20 miles, that was set up to transfer logs from the mountains to one of the rivers.

Two steam engines were purchased from the NYC Railway brought up to Maine set up in the 1920s and abandoned during the depression.

It's still there engines and cars, haven't been yet, its a 100 mile trip on a gravel road, it's on the list.     

[jeeper61]

A few more 

1) Lombard Steam Log Hauler- At the water tank

2) Steam shovel working on a rail line 

3) Early road grader 

[hardtail]

These are outstanding era photos, thx J61 we will have to get KOO here to explain this stuff, think it’s a TD18 pulling that sleigh train, I know he says they are toothpick trees but that’s a lot of them, quite the developed ice roads also

[jeeper61]

Some More

1) A winter road icer 

2) A UTV of the day

3) Road construction the dump truck appears to be a D-series IH which is 1937-39 

[db1486]

On 7/3/2020 at 9:10 AM, IH766 said:

We're about 20 miuntes away from Riding Mountain National Park, it became a Federal park sometime in the early 30's I believe. Before that there used to be quite a a bit of logging take place in the mountains. In WW2 the government actually had a POW camp in Riding Mountain, where German prisoners would be kept to cut lumber and complete other tasks. At times they were even able to travel down into Dauphin for a day. We also have Duck Mountain a provincial park where some logging still takes place. These pictures are all in Manitoba, with most being taken in and around either RMNP or the Duck Mountains.

 

 

There is so much history of logging in the riding mountains. I'm on the south side and a uncle of mine used to cut alot of spruce in the park back in the day. He had a pretty good size mill going. I'm pretty sure they logged and even some of the mills were still setup after the park was formed. Theres is quite a few sites you can still tell where the old logging roads and sawdust piles were. I forget how many mills were operating at one time in the park. It was quite a number. There is still trees that are tagged all over the place in the park. It's crazy to think it has been probably over 50 years since trees have been marked yet there is still some standing that were big enough back then!

[mike newman]

….a few from the  North  West Coast  of NZ...taken in the 1930's...….There was totally inadequate  roads then...for bringing out sawn timber...so that pictured boat carted the sawn product to the  port at the ''big''   town   of Nelson   …..

Mike

[mike newman]

….as a matter of mild interest....in 1973 I was working in that same area...logging native  …….I was doing the roads......not the initial  formation...but upgrading   to allow   trucks to access    far beyond    the era depicted   in the post above.....

The old steam set ups were just derelict   , rusted out remnants of that bygone era......in 1970's there was D7   3T     Caterpillar tractors to winch out and  load up the trucks of that era....A Clark 666  (as I recall )  skidder made its appearance also...actually    owned by a friend of mine....It replaced a Russian     made "skidder "'   of dubious quality...….a thing that  hardly revolutionised the logging industries...on the contrary...There were two locally,   actually...….after a sheave self destructed and killed the bloke on the chainsaw...…..that one was sent back to agents....the one out in the area above   broke the bloke that was making the payments on it......

He came back with the Clark...like all those blokes who ply their trade in some of the worlds most unforgiving   environments...they  don't quit....they never quit...but the returns for the endeavour that is put in, finally   finishes them off...…...

Picture of the Clark and a Mercedes  log truck from back then......the Merc's were really good in the mud...….The old timer's used to say about the West Coast...…."""If you can't see the hill's...its raining...….if you can see the hills.....it's going to rain....""

I don't recall the rainfall figures  for this particular area...but further south...in the South Island of NZ... 400 inchs is the norm......that is wet !!    Olympia   Peninsular, Washington State has that sort of rainfall, I believe...….and always   with  that...the trees   grow big.....

Mike

[lorenzo]

I’d love to throw open a barn door and find this sitting inside. 

[jeeper61]

4 hours ago, mike newman said:

….as a matter of mild interest....in 1973 I was working in that same area...logging native  …….I was doing the roads......not the initial  formation...but upgrading   to allow   trucks to access    far beyond    the era depicted   in the post above.....

The old steam set ups were just derelict   , rusted out remnants of that bygone era......in 1970's there was D7   3T     Caterpillar tractors to winch out and  load up the trucks of that era....A Clark 666  (as I recall )  skidder made its appearance also...actually    owned by a friend of mine....It replaced a Russian     made "skidder "'   of dubious quality...….a thing that  hardly revolutionised the logging industries...on the contrary...There were two locally,   actually...….after a sheave self destructed and killed the bloke on the chainsaw...…..that one was sent back to agents....the one out in the area above   broke the bloke that was making the payments on it......

He came back with the Clark...like all those blokes who ply their trade in some of the worlds most unforgiving   environments...they  don't quit....they never quit...but the returns for the endeavour that is put in, finally   finishes them off...…...

Picture of the Clark and a Mercedes  log truck from back then......the Merc's were really good in the mud...….The old timer's used to say about the West Coast...…."""If you can't see the hill's...its raining...….if you can see the hills.....it's going to rain....""

I don't recall the rainfall figures  for this particular area...but further south...in the South Island of NZ... 400 inchs is the norm......that is wet !!    Olympia   Peninsular, Washington State has that sort of rainfall, I believe...….and always   with  that...the trees   grow big.....

Mike

Mike Thanks for posting the photos any era is acceptable 1973 is a long gone by era now.

My buddies dad had one of those Clark Skidders used it until 90’s when he retired

 He had a Franklin with Detroit before that so I am sure it saved his hearing.

I always questioned the robustness of Russian/Soviet block  made machines no real competition to make the manufacturer strive for better product.

My FIL had a Zetor 100HP 4WD tractor he used for skidding and clearing of house lots.

There were many issues now it sits in the fence row IMO way to early in its life.

And now folks are suffering from the China made junk