Mountaineering with Tall Timber
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HAULAGE of long timber is an arduous and specialized business requiring a high degree of skill in drivers and high quality in equipment. When the work is conducted over dangerous mountain roads, the standard of driving technique, vehicles and maintenance become even more important.
Mr. C. V. Troland, of the State of Washington, U.S.A., has specialized throughout his working life in this business. He has been using Autocar oil-engined tractors since 1930, although, in general, the compressionignition engine is not popular in America. His experience is that the oil engine has greater power than the petrol unit, and in his hands it has proved to be completely efficient in rough weather as well as in fair.
At present he is engaged on a contract involving a round trip of more than 11 miles from the forest to the saw mill. The trip to the mill is downhill, with an average gradient of about 1 in 6.
171 Tons Down 1 in 6
Down this fierce incline, each vehicle carries a load of some 10 logs (9,000 ft, of timber), weighing more than 17t tons. On the uphill trip to the forest, the timber trailers are carried on the tractors, which are equipped with winches for handling the trailers. The latest models also have overhead cranes.
In good weather the round trip occupies about an hour, and in bad weather an additional 15 minutes is necessary.
Each traila is equipped with loading blocks that can be extended to a maximum width of 8 ft. (the overall width of the vehicle). When taking on timber, the driver first extends the blocks to the full width.
The Autocar tractor has a wheelbase of 15 ft. 2 his., and is equipped with six 10.00 by 20 tyres. A comfortable cab is fitted and gives full protection to the crew in bad weather. The trailer has two Timken axles and eight 10.00 by 20 tyres. The central frame member is 30 ft. long by 7 ins. by 9 ins.
Because of the dangerous roads over which the vehicles work, maintenance is extremely important. Every night each vehicle and trailer is lubricated, the brakes are inspected, tyres are examined for bruises and cuts, and are inflated to the correct pressure. The engine and oil are also checked each night, and at th week-end the power unit is thoroughly examined.
Before 1930, logging railways were employed for the transport of timber and the round trip occupied up to three hours. By the use of road transport, running time has been reduced by about two-thirds, and the expense of laying and taking up rails has been avoided. Thompson Bros., Ltd., in many instances being specifically designed to meet the particular requirements of the L P.D. traffic.
In the case of tanks for the carriage of transformer oils, for instance, the interior must be kept entirely free from water .and, to ensure the removal of moisture from the atmosphere, special breathing apparatus has to be incorporated. For the carrying of setting oils, lagged tanks are employed, which have steam heating coils fitted so as to prevent the contents from becoming solid.
Corrosive Loads Specially lined tanks for the transport of corrosive liquids are provided, and stainless-steel construction is employed to the same end. The need for changing the tanks from one commodity to another requires a number of cleaning operations, the precise nature of tion value are destroyed by burning in a pit at the rear of the depot.
All vehicles in operation are held for the night on the parking ground around the depot and during the winter, radiators are heated from a ii-in, steam line, which runs round the perimeter. An automatically fed vertical boiler of Farrar vertical cross-tube type has been installed to provide heat for offices and fitting shop, also to supply domestic hot water and steam for tank cleansing. The steam circulates through the water-cooling system at a pressure of 7 lb. per sq. in.
Easy Starting Very favourable results are obtained from this method, Mr. Gosselin said. There is a great saving of time compared with draining and filling of radiators, whilst the warm engines can be relied upon to start with ease Should the pressure fail, the water system drains automatically, thus preventing damage during frosty weather.
Connections from the steam pipe round the perimeter to the' various vehicles is made by 6-ft. lengths of speaking, the drivers keep the lightercoloured parts in a cleaner state. thereby enhancing the appearance and facilitating the work of the fitting staff when vehicles come in for repairs. Ali machines are washed and greased by the night staff in accordance with a predetermined roster, but drivers are responsible for the proper road maintenance of their own particular units Care is exercised in keeping each driver to a specific vehicle, so far as practicable, it having been found that this arrangement reacts favourably on maintenance costs, as compared with any interchange system To encourage the men to give proper attention to every aspect of maintenance, a three-monthly bonus is allotted to each unit, the driver concerned obtaining the benefit if his vehicle remains continuously on the road. The rates of bonus are 30s for four-wheelers and 40s for six
and eight-wheelers Certain allowances are made for days off, according to the age of the unit, and after the allotted number has been reached, bonus deductions are made
Gross negligence results in the immediate loss of the full amount, whilst if a vehicle be off the road for one week in three months, no bonus is paid. A night staff of fitters is employed, so that the vehicles are held up as little as possible on their operational work Six-monthly Inspect ion
At six-monthly intervals, each vehicle comes in for a full workshop inspection, which provides for the following points:—
ENGINE: Gas-tight joints, engine mounting, performance, compression.
LumucATioN1 Oil pressure, oiltight joints.
COOLING SYSTEM: Water joints, fan unit, radiator, water pump.
FUEL SYSTEM: Filters.
larstrrioN: Sparking plugs, H.T. leads, magneto or coil.
STEERING. Wheel alignment, oil level in steering box, joint wear, stub-axle pins.
ELECTRICAL: Dynamo and cut-out, batteries, starter, lights, wiring.
TRANSMISSION. Clutch-pedal clearance, oil level in gearbox, propeller