Steam & Excursion > At The Beginning Of The War-Spruce Production Division!

Yesterday I posted a photo of the mustering of railroad logging equipment by the U.S. Army Spruce Production Division at the end of WWI. I thought today I would show how the Army went about getting the logging equipment in the first place.

At the outset of WWI the Army was in desperate need for millions of board feet of clear old-growth spruce to make airplanes to support the Army Air Corps in the war effort. The Spruce Production Division was formed to create 13 different logging railroad and mill operations to meet this need for spruce wood. This mean a lot of equipment was needed, and fast!

In this photo we see one of the Army's early purchases in the form of U.S. Signal Corps 2-truck Heisler #1 being delivered at Yaguina, Oregon in 1918. You can see that members of the Army Spruce Production Division are on hand to take delivery of the 36-ton Heisler and see that she is quickly set up and hauling spruce logs for the war effort.

When the war ended, she was quickly sold by the Army to a dealer in Portland who re-sold her for service in Washington State. However, on this date of delivery, she stands ready to serve her country in service of the U.S. Army.


Martin



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 11/23/13 05:37 by LoggerHogger.

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Martin:
Your collection of old photographs is a real treat to people like me. If any on this list has never had the opportunity to see the video "Steam Whistles, Sawdust, and Salt Air" (Pacific Spruce Corp.), go see it. It was shot by the C.D. Johnson Company shortly after they purchased some to the old Spruce Division after WWI. The film shows logging, railroad, marine and mill operations. It's the only film I know that shows a donkey engine pulling itself across the woods by its "bootstraps."

The small Heislers were the best looking Heislers!

You can get a DVD of "Steam Whistles, Sawdust, and Salt Air" from Amazon.com.

Stan

Interesting method of disassembling the headlight.

Cheers,
Jack

Martin, wasn't Yaquina the original name of Newport? Or at least I believe it was very close to Newport. Do you have any Manary shots in the Blodgett tract?

Jim,

Yaquina still exits. It is an unincorporated ares 3 miles east of Newport on Yaquina Bay.

I have plenty of Manary shots of the Blodgett track. Some are in in Lloyd's book on the subject. I assume you have that.

Martin



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/24/13 14:03 by LoggerHogger.

Yeah, I have it. Thought you might want to share with the other logging fans here on T.O.

Jim,

You don't think I share on T.O.?

Martin

I was just kidding.