Forestry Memories Image Library = Cable crane training

	124
	Norman Davidson
	1971

Cable crane training - Isaacson Winch

Training event in Glengarry with Hugh Thom and Alec Sandilands as instructors about 1971. Note the forester's jacket with red collar. The Ferguson 35 tractor is kitted out with a double drum winch developed in Scandanavia (wire double drums out of sight). The tower folds down for travelling down at a point just above the tool box. The drum on the right hand wheel holds about 350m of 19mm wire rope for the skyline. The drum on this side is loaded with about 700m of 6mm polypropelene rope which is manually taken up a new rackway and around the top pulley and back down to the tractor. Tractor is jacked up on one side, drum is locked on axle, forward gear is engaged and the polyprop rope drum hauls out the wire haul back rope to begin set up.
Picture Added on 23 March 2007.

Comments

Worked a winch just like the one in the picture in Glenfinnart forest in the windblow of 1968, as a pre forestry school student. A few of us lived at Drynain at the head of Glenfinnart from all parts of the UK, so called volunteers!!!. My late friend, Ramsey MacDonnell, was dragged down the wood when working as chocker man at Benmore forest with one of these winches but thank goodness came to no real harm. We always said these winches were better than the Igland winch which superseded them. We used to put old sump oil on the break bands, not sure why now. They would sometimes catch fire and smoked a lot when you overloaded the winch. Great fun!!
Added by Alan Massey on 11 November 2011.

If you found this interesting, have a look at the following groups of pictures.
Forestry in Action
Other Vehicles and Machines
Tools and clothing