Historic Hood River
Log Trains and Sewing Machines?
Notes
I found an interesting set of promotional cards from the Singer Sewing Machine Company in the Marlor/Blythe collection. The cards are all photographs by the Kiser Bros. of sights around Oregon. As the Kiser Bros. were the official photographers of the Lewis and Clark Exposition, I suspect these were prepared for the 1905 Expo.
This isn’t local logging, but it’s a great image to tell the story of logging in the steam era. The text on the reverse explains it all:
Logging Train: This picture shows a Logging Train in the heart of the Coast Range, where a vast and valuable amount of fir timber is to be found. To the left of the picture is a logging or donkey engine, which draws the logs to the roadway, shown in the foreground. Here they are rolled upon the cars which carry them to the banks of the Columbia River, and where they are places in booms ready for the trip to Portland. The average size of the logs, as shown in this picture, is about 5 feet in diameter.
Tags: 1900s, Blythe, Coast Range, Kiser, locomotive, logging, railroad, Singer, steam donkey, steam engine
Charlott
I bet our old friend Buzz could have jumped in on this logging photo. So do miss his in put on logging. We do have Arlen that can comment on the train.
L.E.
Is the train pushing or pulling?
I don't know if any of you remember the Portland Livestock Yards in the Kenton area of Portland. There was a massive number of pens to hold the livestock. The boards used to build those pens were cut from old growth.
Beautiful lumber. Tight grain and heavy.
You could have cut a lot of straight, thick, long boards from a 5 foot diameter tree.
Kyle
Only a few spots on certain hikes I can see 5 foot diamater firs around here anymore.
Arlen L Sheldrake
based on the exhaust. I would guess the locomotive is pushing the load. like the guys posing for the photographer. another guess is that the donkey is a Willamette Iron & Steel built steam engine….a friend is writing a book on this Portland based companies extensive history. it appears the loads are on “disconnects” versus log cars (the World Forestry Center has a loaded set). the logs hold the train together.
amazing photo!!
Kenn
A tank engine, no tender for fuel and water, both carried on the engine.
Kenn
What is the line or hose from the engine down to the roll way?
nails
Those upright trees look burned, so they may be logging standing dead?
Arlen L Sheldrake
while I had hopes the locomotive would be a rare Willamette, the Bend expert says it is a Shay.