where can i find ho scale logging equipment either lumber or plup. everything involved in either one or both? skidders, mills, or anything to do with either. searchs have been driven me crazy.
Walthers has some HO scale logging equipment. Go to http://www.walthers.com and click on the advanced search section type in logging as the keyword and select HO in the scales filter, then select 120 items per page. I get all kinds of stuff, here are a few items on the list:
- Open frame logging trailer - 30’
- Logging wagon kit
- Logging tractor with front timber grapple
- Logging trailer 3-axle with load
- Logging camp car kit
- 1940’s D8/8R Crawler tractor with logging arch
- Log picker
- Boyd Logging Camp - Scale 50’ X 85’
- Logging flat cars
- Logging tool set
- Logging mills
You can also run a similar search for the keyword ‘timber’ and ‘lumber’
Hope this helps,
Ryan
Thanks , Any ideas where I can find some pics or details on setting up a logging scene? Have ideas in mind but looking at different things gives more ideas.
There have been some railroads in MR & Great Model railroads in past years, try looking them up,
Logging web sites I have found over the years:
http://www.badger-creek.co.uk - Nice images of HO scale logging site
http://www.railroaddata.com/rrlinks/Logging_Railroads/ - Links to Logging related sites
http://thewsrr.uscolorprint.com/ - Western Sierra Railroad - Click the Logging Photos link for prototype images.
Also, go to http://www.google.com and in the Search: type in “logging railroad” and press enter. You will find many more sites for viewing pleasure.
Hope this helps,
Ryan
Holy smoke. The info is most anywhere…Anyway, for inspiration, buy the book RAILRODADS IN THE WOODS
Thanks. That helped but Ishould have been clearer on what I’m looking for I’m looking for something from the woods end of the operation fallen trees, skidding them to the landing , loading on trucks to go to the mill then from the mill to the train and lumber yard I plan to put in. But I did like the saw mill setup. I’m also going for some were around the 1980’s
jimco,
I have been researching logging for model railroads for a few years now. I have some diagrams and images of the skidding operations typically involved in logging operations. Please review them below:
Shovel Loader Jammer
Mobile Shovel Yarder
Slack Line System
Skidder System
North Bend System
South Bend System
Standing Skyline
Side Mountain Tower
Partial Cutting with Skyline
Running Skyline with Chokers
Running Skyline with Grapple
Multi-Span Skyline
Heal Boom Loading
Guy Line Loading
Hayrack
Since you mention skidders and the 1980s, jimco, I’d assume that you are not looking for a yarding system, but the “drag them out of the woods to a road” system where skidders are normally employed. Such logging systems are common in Eastern Canada - I don’t know about the USA. I’m going to need a skidder or two for my layout as well, down the road, and I’ve never seen a model for one. I was figuring on kitbashing them using model or toy tractors for the wheels and axles and perhaps a bulldozer body and winches.
Jim
Jimco,
You modern loggers might want to go to this site:
http://www.1-87vehicles.org/
Type “logging” in the Google search.
Bob
NMRA Life 0543
Skidding and yarding styles depend on terrain. The first 12 diagrams provided by Ryan are methods developed in the west back in the days of steam but modified to modern equipment. The next six are methods using available timber for skidding and yarding as shown by using a spar tree instead of a mobile spar. Though the equipment has changed the rigging is essentially the same. Balloons and helicopters have also been used in some of the tougher country of Oregon. We also use the same equipment as mentioned by Jim in Ottawa for territory like he sees in his local area. The conversion of rigging using mobil spars vs. timber spars was pretty much complete by the 1980’s. You’ll notice that some of the rigging uses a tail spar. In an old logging show, there could be as many has half a dozen tail spars for a high line operation. When the show was cleared the donkeys for yarding and loading would be put on the other side of the spar so the next show could be yarded and loaded. In some cases to reposition the equipment they would jump the spar, an act of moving it some distance while still rigged. Take a close look at the Heal Boom (aka hayrack) loading picture. Number 13 is a squirrel which was a log attached to the rigging to act as a counter weight to return the boom to the home position.
For the 1980’s I’d look at a logging truck with a loading boom as a possible piece for your diorama.
Thanks everyone for all the help
mstein,
Great to finally hear from someone that actually seems to have seen this activity in action. Nothing can substitute first hand experience. If my grandfather were still alive today I would be picking his brain everyday, he owned a lumber company and small railroad back in the 1940’s through the 1960’s in central Louisiana. I have some old photos of the locos that they used, and one was a two truck shay.
Thanks again,
Ryan
It’s been 15 years since I’ve seen skeleton cars in use in my area but logs are still shipped by flatbed bunk. Most of the really big sticks have been cut and the survivors in the timber industry have adapted technology to keep their productivity edge. This has included computers, lasers and a variety of sensors. All this stuff can figure the most productive cut on the fly, adjust equipment for tempurature and humidity, route lumber according to it’s moisture content (heart wood vs. sapwood) and cut with thinner blades to minimize waste. You’ve seen cherry colored softwood landscape timbers with two flats and two rounded sides. This was veener core thats been slabbed. They could have also cut it again and got two 2x4. Just an example.
Most of the mill handle sticks that are 18 inch diameter or less. The bigger stuff gets shipped by rail via the flatbet bunks to the few mills that can still handle the big stuff.
well in my area all the logs are trucked never seen any on trians just lumber & paper. when i do get started on this layout it will be my first . Hoping for this summer. Would like to have a saw mill & pulp mill in it. Plus this is a farming area so I want to add that to it might end up alot of work for my first layout but I figure might as well jump in with both feet. Never liked taking the easy way out . I have half the basement to use about 20’ * 30’. so why not.
Jimco,
I’m in western Washington and most of our logs are handled by truck here as well. Logs by rail are the exception. The exception is size of the log and the distance it needs to go to a mill capable of handling it. Dimensioned timber, wood chips and paper are shipped via rail, truck and barge the same way here as in your area.
Mike
Well, logs by rail is still alive on the East Coast of Canada - but it’s small logs for pulp, and not in log bunks but cars like the Walthers pulp cars now available in HO. There has actually been a pu***o get more of this traffic back on the rails, thanks to new shortline railways and several horrific accidents involving pulpwood trucks. Typcical hauls by rail are in the 250-500 km/150 to 300 mile range. Most of this traffic is in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia bound for the Irving Pulp and Paper mill in Saint John, NB.
Jim
Jim
I believe that Canfor (Canadian forest products) still uses rail for timber in the Vancouver, British Columbia, Alberta, and Quebec areas of Canada. Here is there web site link:
http://www.canfor.com/
For other current prototype info I also found the following:
Logging & Sawmill Journal web site that has a journal search powered by Google for the forestnet web site. Great info from there on recent prototype operations, just type in “rail”, or “railroad” as a keyword.
http://www.forestnet.com - main page
http://www.forestnet.com/searchgoogle.htm - Search page
Here’s another cool link with logging equipment - Logging Link:
http://logginglink.com/
Hope this helps!
- Ryan
I believe Canfor is still using rail to a significant level. Weyerhaeuser has a bit in the Longview, Wa area. This was temporarily interrupted a couple of years ago when vandels burned a trestle. Weyerhaeuser had a major rail presence at Vail that was slowly reduced to moving logs north to Woodward Bay log dump outside of Olympia, Wa where they were formed into log rafts with this operation ceasing in the late 70’s. Simpson timber continued with their operations west of Shelton, WA until the late 80’s. I believe the book Trains, Tracks and Tall Timber has pretty good coverage on the Canfor rail operations. Retail is $50 and it’s listed in the Walthers catalog. A recommended forum that is heavily into logging railroads is the 4L group on Yahoo. The 4L stands for Loyal Legion of Logged on Loggers. Their greater interest is steam but a good number are good source for modern operations. Among other things, the regulars trade links to online photo libraries and is a hang out for cottage base business that specialize in small runs of accurate logging equipment.