Alaskan Logging Equipment, Left to Rust

[rockhaul]

Yes. Sure is, Always speaks highly of Jim Anliker and Dave Bowden from Longview Fibre. Jim passed away 30+yrs ago in Jewell while hunting with the Jepson boys and Dave Bowden is doing very well, last time we visited, he was living in Longview.

 

[RJE]

I'm new to the forum...and all i can say is wow, theres a couple pieces of old iron off in the bush here, but no where near what is up there. thanks alot C.L. for posting these amazing pics of all that equipment sitting and rusting. its a real shame to see all that iron sitting, but at least the scrappys havent got to it yet!

 

[Vigilant]

I'm sure y'awl already know that Mr. Hays passed away a little over a year ago. I believe he was 82. He told me he felt like he probably topped and rigged a thousand trees in his day. He is another one who spent some time with Saginaw Timber years ago. He put out a really nice book full of photos and stories on Saginaw. I sold a few copies of his book for him (with no profit on my part) on Ebay. At one point, I received an email from a young lad named Mark Morley, out of Saginaw, MI. He was a descendant of Mr. A. J. Morley, one of the founders of Saginaw Timber. It gave me great pleasure to introduce him to Mr. Hays. I only met Mr. Hays in person once, in 2002, but we spent an entire afternoon together at his house, by his invitation, talking about the good old days of logging. As we parted ways, we made plans to meet again some day, at the big logging show in the sky, and take up where we left off in the conversation. I'll never forget that day. Mr. Hays was quite a gentleman.

My dad used to take little bro and me fishing in Fall River, out behind Saginaw's shop in Brooklyn, WA. As a Boy Scout, I camped at Camp Delezene, which was Saginaw's original corporate headquarters. I also camped in the old Schafer family homeplace once. It was still in good shape back then. When the Schafers built something, it was built to last. As far as I know, their old roundhouse at Brady is still standing, and I'll bet it's still looking pretty good.

 

[Timbrrchick]

I know the fella that owns all this Whale Pass Iron. He has been a super gyppo in the past but has lost his will to log mostly and can't bear to part with any of his treasures..Once in awhile he fires something up and moves some wood

 

[Contract Logger]

I know the fella that owns all this Whale Pass Iron. He has been a super gyppo in the past but has lost his will to log mostly and can't bear to part with any of his treasures..Once in awhile he fires something up and moves some wood

I heard HV was back on the island. PM me- I need to catch up with him on something. I have a fellow looking for a Madill 143 he had stashed at Goose Creek a few years back.

 

[skadill]

Skadill,from Youtube here.This has been one of my all time favorite threads.Just finally signed up after ages of enjoying the iron pics.I also seek out this type of stuff to feed the camera with,before the torches arrive.A few years ago,there was near nothing for the logging equipment buffs to feast on,but you guys have brought a world class collection of museum quality material together here.Excellent work.Contract Logger,I completely understand your passion for the worlds greatest industry and thank you for the history and images you've taken the time to capture.At the time a lot of equipment pictures were common place,but as time ages these are more valued and cannot be re-captured working again,have dissapeared,faded into scrap yards,and are no longer even manufactured ,Whole generations now will only know what was by these great works here.

 

[donkey doctor]

Welcome skadill. Seen lots of your stuff on youtube and think it's great. Hoping to see lots more here. Should be a great contrbution to the forestry forum. Regards D.D.

 

[Murk100]

About time!! this will take up any spare time you had...

 

[skadill]

It's a lot more intimidating here to open ones mouth or tell how it is about a piece of iron,this is where the big boys hang out.You guys are the Kings of the timber here.You have a Kwatna Timber connection.I've run for them myself years ago at Kwatna Bay,Big Windsor River,Prince Rupert and East Harrison at Silver River(G&F Logging too,buts its basically the same outfit.

 

[Murk100]

Ha Ha! it just looks intimidating, more of a hobby finding pics of old equipment and posting them for everone to enjoy. I've seen lots of your vids looking forward to the still collection and yes to Kwatna 96-08 WELCOME

It's a lot more intimidating here to open ones mouth or tell how it is about a piece of iron,this is where the big boys hang out.You guys are the Kings of the timber here.You have a Kwatna Timber connection.I've run for them myself years ago at Kwatna Bay,Big Windsor River,Prince Rupert and East Harrison at Silver River(G&F Logging too,buts its basically the same outfit.

 

[TorkelH]

Welcome to HEF Skadill!

 

[Newfie]

what is the story on the white western star in the back ground? 2 20 2010

 

[Greatwestcam]

Welcome Skadill to HEF, got to say if I'm not on this site I'm watching your vids, there great, music is choise too!

 

[Big Iron]

That's Newman himself and his hippie longhair buddy with the shovel and a log truck that belonged to Loren Golly (the truck got wrecked in the movie).

Actually that truck belonged to W. E. Mcfarland and was driven by "little" Joe Mcfarland. After the truck was burned on the landing it became part of Mack glider kit purchased by Jerry (who was running the company then as Bill had passed away) When the truck was rebuilt it had the parts from a KW, Pete and a Mack in it, so when Jerry licensed it he convinced ODOT that it was a MackPeterWorth and thats what the title read. The original truck had a 280 or a 262 (memory is about gone) Cummins with a 5x4.
i was also driving for Jerry then and got to watch the logging scenes filmed. It was great watching the hollywood types in the brush its a wonder that no one got killed.
I hauled for both Jerry and Loran under the Jepsons (Delmar, Donald and Dennis) towers for a number of years and spent a lot of time under those 2300Manitowoc's. You wouldn't believe the size of timber those old girls could pick.
Yes Stan Worland was one hell of a logger! To listen to the banter between him and "Goofy" George Chruchhill on the AOL system was entertaining to say the least!
Both Jim Anliker and Dave Bowden were great guys (Jim could get a little cantankerous at times) and good loggin boss's to work under. They were also good neighbors as i lived next door to both while they did their stints in the Lincoln County LVF tree farm.
I may have to go home and drag out my old tape of that movie and reminisce over a few beers tonight.:drinkup

 

[bullnose]

How about some Peterbilt off-road log trucks? Same location as the Macks.

Whats the story on the old peterbilts?

 

[Hayesno1]

Skadill; Welcome aboard - hope you will post some of your great pictures. Every second day I check out your great Youtube vidioes - great stuff for my modelling - thanks

 

[jealbros]

I'm a newbie, not allow to PM you. Contract Logger I need you to contact me. [email protected] wonderfull job you did! already making plan to visit Alaska

 

[bitner1970]

Wow its sad to see all this great equipment left to rust away up there. I would love to have seen some of it in its prime doing what it was built to do.

Cheers:

Bill

 

[darman]

I live right smack in the middle of the 'Tongass National Forest', an area of 17 million acres of mostly old growth timber, on over 1,000 islands. Logging here started way back in the 1902's, and eventually progeressed through the 60's, 70's and 80's pretty much OK. In the early 1990's, under the Clinton Administration, the US Forest Service cut off the timber sales supply, and our two big pulp mils closed in 1997. We are so far from anywhere, that without the mills here there became no mills/market close enough to make it feasable to transport. BC was fairly close, but has a ready-supply of closer, therefore cheaper logs. The loggers left, and left their equipment behind for the most part. The USFS wanted all the equipment gone, so some loggers drove all of thier gear into rock pits and buried it under overburden. Others loaded thier barges to the gills, towed thier spreads out to international waters, and set charges to blast/sink the barges full of equipment. But some remains. Actually, ALOT remains. Sitting, rusting, all over the Tongass. Too far and expensive to move, even high scrap prices in Seattle werent enough to cover transport costs. One logger sent 8 Madill 009's to Seattle to auction at a freight cost of about $ 15,000.00 each. They brought $ 5,000.00 each at auction. Didnt take long for word to spread, and soon everyonewas running from thier iron as fast as they could. Buried, burned, or sunk was better than a loss like that. Anyway, I have a few thousand pics of this gear up here. I will post a few in this new thread for your enjoyment I suppose.

I could use some parts from equipment do you know the current owner is Thanks

 

[123paw paw]

Never been a logger ,but such a waste!, but was some of the best photos I've ever seen on a post of any kind !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!