Westlake Publishing Forums

Just realized I didn't show the entire boom assembly in the previous pictures.

So here ya go.

It turned out to be a really great vehicle!

Really nice!

Nice model with plenty of detail. My only concern would be that the operator of the hoist would need to exercise some caution as to the weight of anything being lifted. Anything too heavy would result in the front end of the vehicle rising off the ground. Perhaps additional weight on the front end would prevent such a hazzard.

Stuart

Stuart, A valid concern for sure.
If you look at the top of the tower, not the boom, those lines that run through the blocks run out and snub off to trees or stumps when set up to load. One out each side and one out the back, well I guess really the front, over the cab anyway.

Having never seen one in operation I can only guess that they were stable enough to satisfy loggers.

Well, that turned out adequately, didn't it? A complex model and beyond the ability of many hobbyists, too. Satisfactory. -- Russ

Quote from: NORCALLOGGER on April 29, 2026, 11:34:42 AMIf you look at the top of the tower, not the boom, those lines that run through the blocks run out and snub off to trees or stumps when set up to load. One out each side and one out the back, well I guess really the front, over the cab anyway.

Ah-ha, thanks for pointing out the additional safety features on you admirable model.  I suppose I should have known that loggers would have been careful to provide sufficient security while manipulating heavy loads.  Keep up the good work.

Stuart

Going through some old files a few days ago I came across this build log from 2013 and thought maybe some of you might be interested in what I was trying to do.

As I remember this project took quite a bit of research and time to develop but I must warn you no 3D printers, Laser cutters, or computer drafting programs were used or abused during this build.

So what is a logging arch?

This is a late 1930's Fairlead tracked arch, the final stage of the development of this type of log yarding in the woods.

I am sure some or even most of you may be unfamiliar with this piece of equipment so a little background or history is in order. You must understand that like all equipment it evolved over many years of trial and error by the men in the woods getting the timber out. Each and all of these systems overlapped each other sometimes by years.

Probably the earliest method of getting logs out of the woods was the use of draft animals to drag the logs along the ground. But, it didn't take long for the old timers to figure out a better way and come up with a thing they called a Skid Road. A skid road was built using small logs half buried in the ground that the timber was dragged along by the animal teams, and the skids were greased as they went along to ease the pull.


An 8 horse hitch dragging a large log along a skid road.

Another early development in the movement of logs was the River Drive. The logs were cut and stored along a river bank during the Summer waiting for the winter floods to send the logs down stream. This method was used mainly in the North Central United States where there were plenty of small rivers, Of course this was only good for the timber that grew close by the rivers. This method was never used much in the Western States because the timber was too large and the rivers too few.


Notice how small the logs are but make no mistake this was a very,very dangerous way to make a living.

Well we have reached the 3 picture limit.
More to come.
Thanks for taking a look
Rick