Loggin in the MUCK

 
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warminmn
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Post by warminmn » Fri. Jan. 27, 2017 8:24 am

Rob R. wrote:Any frost in the woods? I imagine the horses are a lot less disruptive to the landscape than a skidder. Also a lot quieter than those old Timberjacks with Detroits. :lol:

My dad was running a Cat skidder last fall - he said it was the meanest thing he had ever driven, and was a good job for young guy. They really throw you around if the ground is rough/frozen.
13064709_1709131072693810_1386963275338334463_o.jpg
I never heard of a cat horse but looks like a Belgian bred a dinosaur! :lol: Seriously thats a great looking piece.

Its nice to see you out and working again Fred. It was a long time coming.

 
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Post by freetown fred » Fri. Jan. 27, 2017 9:37 am

Indeed W. I'm lovin it. Rob, not a tinge of frost. Just back from feedin horses. Gonna leave em rest up till Monday. Temps supposed to be in the 20's with some snow so it'll firm up the BOG's quite a bit.

 
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Post by top top » Fri. Jan. 27, 2017 4:19 pm

Great thread, Fred. My Grandfather logged with horses, about 100 years ago. I don't remember a lot about him, I was pretty young when he died. I heard he liked the Percheron breed. Like someone said, he hooked them up and sent them to the mill, there someone would hang the hooks on the rigging and send them back. In the mountains there were places he couldn't use a slip hook/choker. The way my uncle explained it, the hook was set into the log with a hammer, to release it you pulled it backwards, similar to a fluke anchor for a boat. The horses would drag the logs to the edge, then step aside and let the logs go by. If the team didn't get out of the way the logs would run them over. The old guy also made, and drank, a lot of liquor. He had one horse that wouldn't cross a bridge without a shot. My Mom told me she was the only female that ever rode his draft horses. Keep the pics and stories coming. Wish I were closer, I would like to hang out for bit to observe and take pics.

 
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Post by top top » Fri. Jan. 27, 2017 4:44 pm

Rob, what size is that Cat-or-tractor? Back in the 70's I hauled a brand new Cat Skidder to Giles & Ransom in Philadelphia. It was huge for this area, weighed over 40,000 lbs. The Monster Trucks were a new thing at the time, and Bigfoot was at the Spectrum crushing cars. Half the employees at G&R came out to look at this huge skidder. As I was pulling the chains and "oversize" signs and flags, someone said "Let's take it down to the Spectrum and show Bigfoot how to REALLY crush some cars. I'm sure it could have done it too. I still don't know who could use such a machine in Phila.


 
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Post by coalder » Fri. Jan. 27, 2017 6:06 pm

Fred, Are those Belgians shod with " corkers"? My Grandpa, who died long before me was a quarry man for Many years. He had two grade draft horses, one a roan named Prince & Another jet black one he named N I double G - R. I guess appropriate in those days. Anyway when I still owned the quarry, I stumbled upon a horseshoe from yesteryear Apparently from one of my Grandpa's horses. & it has 4 cleats to help aid in traction. I will have Kirsten post a picture after dinner, as such technical prowess is beyond my feeble :D mind. Anyway what put the quarry men out of business in the Catskills, was the discovery of a massive amount of natural cement in Rosendale. Not sure of date but thinking in the 30's. There is a street in Saugerties named Dock street where all the Quarry men would take their load of bluestone down to the lower Esopous, which ruins into the Hudson River, & float the stone to NYC for pavers & curbs. Now all that is history. There are still piles of cut bluestone stacked on Indianhead mtn that will be there for ever, that would be valued in the 10's of thousands. When I hunt the High peaks of the Catskills, & witness the memorabilia of yesteryear, it paints a vivid picture of men, blood, horses & stone boats. Todays epicures of liberalism could learn a lot from the book " The Catskills".
Jim

 
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Post by freetown fred » Fri. Jan. 27, 2017 6:15 pm

Yes Jim, they're all corked up an inch. I've read a lot of Adirondack history--real interesting. :)

 
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Post by coalder » Fri. Jan. 27, 2017 7:53 pm

IMG_0641.JPG
.JPG | 99.9KB | IMG_0641.JPG
For those unaware of what corkers are, here is a photo of one my wife found in my Grandfathers quarry. Apparently he wasn't a great Ferrier. :D

 
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Post by Rob R. » Fri. Jan. 27, 2017 8:16 pm

top top wrote:Rob, what size is that Cat-or-tractor? Back in the 70's I hauled a brand new Cat Skidder to Giles & Ransom in Philadelphia. It was huge for this area, weighed over 40,000 lbs. The Monster Trucks were a new thing at the time, and Bigfoot was at the Spectrum crushing cars. Half the employees at G&R came out to look at this huge skidder. As I was pulling the chains and "oversize" signs and flags, someone said "Let's take it down to the Spectrum and show Bigfoot how to REALLY crush some cars. I'm sure it could have done it too. I still don't know who could use such a machine in Phila.
It is a 525C.

http://ritchiespecs.com/specification?type=&category=Skidder&make=Caterpillar&model=525C+Grapple&modelid=104939


 
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freetown fred
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Post by freetown fred » Fri. Jan. 27, 2017 9:15 pm

Actually he was an outstanding farrier jim. Them thar corks take one hell of a beating.
coalder wrote:
IMG_0641.JPG
For those unaware of what corkers are, here is a photo of one my wife found in my Grandfathers quarry. Apparently he wasn't a great Ferrier. :D
Last edited by freetown fred on Fri. Jan. 27, 2017 9:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.

 
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Post by freetown fred » Fri. Jan. 27, 2017 9:18 pm

Probably my Uncle back then T. "DePaul & sons".
top top wrote:Rob, what size is that Cat-or-tractor? Back in the 70's I hauled a brand new Cat Skidder to Giles & Ransom in Philadelphia. It was huge for this area, weighed over 40,000 lbs. The Monster Trucks were a new thing at the time, and Bigfoot was at the Spectrum crushing cars. Half the employees at G&R came out to look at this huge skidder. As I was pulling the chains and "oversize" signs and flags, someone said "Let's take it down to the Spectrum and show Bigfoot how to REALLY crush some cars. I'm sure it could have done it too. I still don't know who could use such a machine in Phila.

 
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Post by coalder » Sat. Jan. 28, 2017 12:55 am

Fred, thanks for the" vote of confidence". This thread has brought me back to my more "youthful" days. Things my mom told me about pa, & about quarrying in the Catskills. Keep it going & pic's coming. Thx.
Jim

 
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Post by top top » Sat. Jan. 28, 2017 6:16 am

freetown fred wrote:Probably my Uncle back then T. "DePaul & sons".
Small world isn't it. I hope it was a money maker for him. I wish I could remember the model and shipping weight, but the only reason I remember it at all was because it was a big skidder for this area. I don't even remember where it was built, but I'm guessing Illinois, just because I picked up a lot of Caterpiller stuff there. At that time my uncle was using a JD 350b track loader and a JD skidder, maybe a 440 but not sure. I know his Deere weighed less than half of this Cat machine.

 
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Post by titleist1 » Sat. Jan. 28, 2017 8:16 am

top top wrote: He had one horse that wouldn't cross a bridge without a shot.
Kinda like me and flying on a plane......

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