jagdmailer
April 9th, 2007, 01:31 AM
Hello, just back to this forum after a 2+ year hiatus.
I used to own a working NorthWest model 25 dragline that I was going to restore, but 9/11 kinda did a number on my business and I had to downsize and un fortunately had to let it go.... :(
Just besides my new office in Delta, BC, Canada, they are taking appart 5 to 6 "Washington" 4 axle off road cable log yarders. Those are behemoths from the 60s-70s and they have 3 of the model 217D-110 3 drums in the yard with the others being the smaller 2 drum units. The model 217D main drum contains 3000 feet of 1 1/2 inch steel cable, and the skidding drum has 2000 feet of 1 3/8 inch cable! Operational weight of the model 217D is over 140 tons and they are usually powered by a 500hp+ Detroit Diesel GM V12 (most likely a 12V-71 or 12V-92), twin supercharged/twin turbocharged power egg.
Anyhow, they are not scrapping them, but the fellow who bought the rights to the Washington Iron Works yarding machines when they apparently went out of business in the 70's is buying machines that are now obsolescent & refurbishing/rebuilding them into "crawler" tower lake dredging machines. Involves somewhat some fabrication, re-powering with a new CAT engine (or Deutz), all new controls, stripping down to the bare frame & rebuilding.
Here is 2 photos of one of the smaller 2 drum machine (model 158 - most likely manufactured in 1964), partially dismantled for transport, and missing much of its equipment above its frame, except the engine & main drums. They just got 4 of the smaller machines delivered in the last 2 weeks, mostly from Washington & Oregon states.
http://www.axiomdigital.com/washington_yarder_1.jpg
http://www.axiomdigital.com/washington_yarder_2.jpg
Note, in the background, you can see one of the larger 3 drum 217D - 110 model (most likely manufactured in 1972), which still has its tower (in travelling position). The 217Ds are of the exact same design but are at least a third larger in comparison to the model 158 machine in the photos.
Note 2: The crane in the background is a 60's era truck mounted 4 axle P&H 100 ton crane with jib. They used the crane to lift the back part of the yarder off the lowboy's rear tires while offloading it.
I do not know much about the Washington cable logging machines appart from the above but anyone that is interested just post a reply, and I will try to answer.
The owner of the machines got tons of blueprints, microfiches, brochures etc...about the machines when he bought the rights to them so I am thinkering with the idea of putting up a small website about the machines if he lets me borrow some of the items to scan and using the pictures I have taken. There is absolutely nothing on the internet about them, except a website with a page about the Washington TL-6 model, a smaller wheel base "Heel boom" log loader & short reach yarder from the same company. That particular smaller machine had a working weight of 116,000 lbs with the standard counter weight.
I think it would be nice to have something about some of the largest cable logging machines ever produced, such as models, specs & photos.
GL
I used to own a working NorthWest model 25 dragline that I was going to restore, but 9/11 kinda did a number on my business and I had to downsize and un fortunately had to let it go.... :(
Just besides my new office in Delta, BC, Canada, they are taking appart 5 to 6 "Washington" 4 axle off road cable log yarders. Those are behemoths from the 60s-70s and they have 3 of the model 217D-110 3 drums in the yard with the others being the smaller 2 drum units. The model 217D main drum contains 3000 feet of 1 1/2 inch steel cable, and the skidding drum has 2000 feet of 1 3/8 inch cable! Operational weight of the model 217D is over 140 tons and they are usually powered by a 500hp+ Detroit Diesel GM V12 (most likely a 12V-71 or 12V-92), twin supercharged/twin turbocharged power egg.
Anyhow, they are not scrapping them, but the fellow who bought the rights to the Washington Iron Works yarding machines when they apparently went out of business in the 70's is buying machines that are now obsolescent & refurbishing/rebuilding them into "crawler" tower lake dredging machines. Involves somewhat some fabrication, re-powering with a new CAT engine (or Deutz), all new controls, stripping down to the bare frame & rebuilding.
Here is 2 photos of one of the smaller 2 drum machine (model 158 - most likely manufactured in 1964), partially dismantled for transport, and missing much of its equipment above its frame, except the engine & main drums. They just got 4 of the smaller machines delivered in the last 2 weeks, mostly from Washington & Oregon states.
http://www.axiomdigital.com/washington_yarder_1.jpg
http://www.axiomdigital.com/washington_yarder_2.jpg
Note, in the background, you can see one of the larger 3 drum 217D - 110 model (most likely manufactured in 1972), which still has its tower (in travelling position). The 217Ds are of the exact same design but are at least a third larger in comparison to the model 158 machine in the photos.
Note 2: The crane in the background is a 60's era truck mounted 4 axle P&H 100 ton crane with jib. They used the crane to lift the back part of the yarder off the lowboy's rear tires while offloading it.
I do not know much about the Washington cable logging machines appart from the above but anyone that is interested just post a reply, and I will try to answer.
The owner of the machines got tons of blueprints, microfiches, brochures etc...about the machines when he bought the rights to them so I am thinkering with the idea of putting up a small website about the machines if he lets me borrow some of the items to scan and using the pictures I have taken. There is absolutely nothing on the internet about them, except a website with a page about the Washington TL-6 model, a smaller wheel base "Heel boom" log loader & short reach yarder from the same company. That particular smaller machine had a working weight of 116,000 lbs with the standard counter weight.
I think it would be nice to have something about some of the largest cable logging machines ever produced, such as models, specs & photos.
GL