Yarder
Encyclopedia
A yarder is piece of logging
equipment which uses a system of cables to pull or fly logs from the stump to the landing. It generally consists of an engine, drums, and spar, but has a range of configurations and variations such as the Swing yarder
.
. They traveled on railroads, known as "dummylines" and the felled trees were dragged or "skidded" to the railroad where they were later loaded onto rail cars. Popular brands were: Willamette, Skagit, Washington, Tyee, or Lidgerwood
and Clyde built by Clyde Ironworks in Duluth, Minnesota
. Although these machines appear to be large and cumbersome, they were true workhorses of their day. The Clyde was capable of retrieving logs from four different points at the same time. Each cable, or lead, was approximately 1000 feet in length. Once the logs were attached and a clearance signal was sent for retrieval, they could be skidded at a speed of 1000 feet per minute (1MPH = 88 fpm = 26.8 meter per minute) this is around 10 mph. Working conditions around these machines were very dangerous.
After the logs were hauled to the landing, a separate machine called a loader, loaded them with tongs or heel-booms onto rail cars or motor trucks. Loaders were sometimes called duplexes as they had two steam engines to control the tongs. A large machine with a yarder and loader combined is called a unit. In the 1950s steam engines were replaced by diesel engine
, and war-surplus tank
chassis, which provided a frame for the new yarders, now that rail mounted ones were obsolete.
s and grapple yarders
.
Logging
Logging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...
equipment which uses a system of cables to pull or fly logs from the stump to the landing. It generally consists of an engine, drums, and spar, but has a range of configurations and variations such as the Swing yarder
Swing yarder
A swing yarder is a mobile piece of heavy duty forestry equipment used for pulling logs from the woods to a logging road with cables. The swing yarder is also known as a grapple yarder....
.
Early Yarders
The early yarders were steam poweredSteam donkey
Steam donkey, or donkey engine is the common nickname for a steam-powered winch, or logging engine widely used in past logging operations, though not limited to logging...
. They traveled on railroads, known as "dummylines" and the felled trees were dragged or "skidded" to the railroad where they were later loaded onto rail cars. Popular brands were: Willamette, Skagit, Washington, Tyee, or Lidgerwood
Lidgerwood
Lidgerwood was a historic American engineering company famous for its winches, scrapers and cranes, particularly ones that helped build the Panama Canal. They later built logging yarders and aerial tramways, cable cars or ropeways....
and Clyde built by Clyde Ironworks in Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
. Although these machines appear to be large and cumbersome, they were true workhorses of their day. The Clyde was capable of retrieving logs from four different points at the same time. Each cable, or lead, was approximately 1000 feet in length. Once the logs were attached and a clearance signal was sent for retrieval, they could be skidded at a speed of 1000 feet per minute (1MPH = 88 fpm = 26.8 meter per minute) this is around 10 mph. Working conditions around these machines were very dangerous.
After the logs were hauled to the landing, a separate machine called a loader, loaded them with tongs or heel-booms onto rail cars or motor trucks. Loaders were sometimes called duplexes as they had two steam engines to control the tongs. A large machine with a yarder and loader combined is called a unit. In the 1950s steam engines were replaced by diesel engine
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
, and war-surplus tank
Tank
A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
chassis, which provided a frame for the new yarders, now that rail mounted ones were obsolete.
Modern Cable Logging
Cable logging used primarily on the U.S. west coast uses a yarder, loaderLoader
Loader can refer to:*Loader *Loader *Boot loader*Clapper loader *A loader, a member of a crew responsible for handling and loading ammunition, such as on a howitzer or tank crew...
s and grapple yarders
Grapple yarders
A grapple yarder is a piece of large crawler tracked logging equipment with tongs used to move logs. It is used primarily on the Pacific West Coast of North America....
.
See also
- Swing yarderSwing yarderA swing yarder is a mobile piece of heavy duty forestry equipment used for pulling logs from the woods to a logging road with cables. The swing yarder is also known as a grapple yarder....
- Steam donkeySteam donkeySteam donkey, or donkey engine is the common nickname for a steam-powered winch, or logging engine widely used in past logging operations, though not limited to logging...
– a similar, smaller logging machine - Washington Iron Works SkidderWashington Iron Works SkidderThe Washington Winch is a steam-powered logging skidder, or cable winch. It was imported to Australia in the 1920s and was initially used to move the large Jarrah logs from the forests of Western Australia...
External links
- Cable Logging
- Yarders on the Ritchiewiki