Yosemite Lumber Company Logging Inclines With Jack Burgess

#trains #logging #YosemiteLumberCompany #railroads
The Logging inclines of the Yosemite Lumber Company were dramatic tracked inclines that carried felled trees on rail cars down or up very steep grades to the mainline where they could be transported by the Yosemite Valley Railroad (YVRR) to the lumber mill at Merced Falls for further processing.
This extraordinary presentation contains hundreds of rare photos and film clips of these amazing engineering feats in action, and is narrated by Historian and Author, Jack Burgess.
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[@TheJagjr4450]

My Grandfather received a color 8 mm video camera for high school graduation in 1940 the videos are something to behold...

[@robertnewton8555]

As a retired logger, I found this video very unique. Excellent job in the making of the video. People these days don't have any idea of the hard work that went into these logging jobs.

[@tsgmultimedia]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@terrystotzheim9719]

Amen to that!!!

[@MrGaryGG48]

My grandfather started in a logging camp about 1920 in northern Washington and then British Columbia, and eventually in Southeastern Alaska. He worked at one logging job or another for the next 50 years. At the beginning of that time he worked with the draft horse teams that pulled the logs. Eventually he operated the steam donkey engines that replaced the draft horses. The steam donkeys probably made the work even more dangerous due to the increased power the steam engine produced. Grandpa talked about the injuries and the men killed when a steel cable would snap and went through anything within range like a modern day weed eater! I believe the bulldozers came in during the md-thirties but I'm not certain of the dates. Choke setters had one of the most dangerous jobs in the business. They were the new guys that fastened the steel cables around the downed logs, and if they lived long enough, they moved into slightly less dangerous jobs. For a logger from the early 20th century to survive to retirement with all his limbs intact was an accomplishment. My grandfather was born in 1898 and passed away on October 14, 1990, in his early 90s. He still had all the limbs he was born with. He said he'd been very careful but was also pretty lucky. Grandpa and I spent many hours talking after he had retired, about his history. Those fascinating hours could easily have come straight out of one of Jack London's stories! You're certainly right, Robert. Unless you've experienced it or had exposure to one of the men who lived in those times and survived the extremely dangerous life, you just couldn't grasp that reality.

[@terrystotzheim9719]

@@MrGaryGG48 that is sooo awesome! Glad you had your grandfather for such a long time!

[@MrGaryGG48]

@@terrystotzheim9719 Thanks Terry. I appreciate the thought. He was a very warm person when I came along... a bit stubborn! My dad said that's genetic among the Swedes...all the while, my Mother was standing behind him nodding her head with a smirk, quietly agreeing, "he got that right!"🤣👍

[@gillafunk]

What an absolutely phenomenal presentation. Exemplary descriptions. Stellar media content. Beautiful model display design. Well done. Just perfect. Mr. Burgess, my hat goes off to you, Sir.

[@bobpaulino4714]

Incredible engineering for the time period -- even regenerative braking! Wonderful layout. I look forward to seeing more.

[@garyhartley3680]

dynamic breaking

[@aprilgeneric8027]

@@garyhartley3680 he said the logging company put the power back into the electric companys grid, dynamic puts that excess into resistors that get fan cooled as heat waste. looking at the truck sets i do not see any motor components to be able to dynamic break. also with the cable and the cable engines there's very little reason to invent dynamic breaking for their set up. i did see some swirl on the inside of the wheels sets tho but that looked like helical gearing, but again none of the photos showed any electrical motors, so i imagine it is possible they did, but i can't tell from the photos.

[@denjhill]

I have a hard time imagining the amount of labor required to construct one of these operations. From roadbed building to hoist house construction to all the ancillary structures. Amazing. Great video.

[@kenmunozatmmrrailroad6853]

Both the story of the railroad and the model are astounding.

[@thomasbritton640]

I'm 70 years old my friends and I used to hop freight trains that ran through the town I grew up in have been a rail all my life this is a great presentation well done never realized how logging was done on the gre!at northwest ill say it again what a great 👍 job !!!

[@nigelphillips2682]

What a great presentation. Learned a lot about mountain logging.

[@LarryWGrant-dw6jo]

I always enjoy watching Jack Burgess and I like learning about logging operations. Thanks John!

[@winstoncampbell1776]

The Shay locomotive was originally built by the Lima Locomotive Works in Lima, Ohio. My father was a service repair technician with the company for Shays. The company was bought by the Baldwin Locomotive Works and became Baldwin Lima Hamilton building cranes and power shovels. My entire family except mother worked there for different periods of time. In the Henry Ford museum in Dearborn, Michigan is another Lima Locomotive, one of the largest steam engines ever built.

[@laughton57]

A Berkshire? Is the large engine a Berkshire. IIRC, Baldwin/Lima built them.

[@andyharman3022]

I went on a search in Lima, Ohio for remains of the Lima Locomotive Works many years ago. None of the works buildings exist anymore. But I did find a Shays locomotive on display downtown.

[@francisschweitzer8431]

Northern Illinois Railway Museum has a working Lima Shay #14

[@bruceb3786]

Great story.

[@wvboy0311]

There are 2 or 3 shays at cass scenic railway in wv

[@another_unique_username]

Man, you’ve outdone just about everyone else on KZbin with this. There was only problem as I saw it, it ended way too soon

[@barbaravickroy7563]

Thank you for this video....so interesting...l'm in my 80s, and Yosemite is a huge part of my girlhood, so tho living in the Ozarks now, a trip down memory lane is most welcomed.

[@dgarvin57]

Thanks so much for creating this great video. I was thrilled to see pictures of my great uncle Jim Law. I visited him many times growing up and was always fascinated with his home at the bottom of one of the old inclines nestled next to the Merced river. My grandfather, Bob Jirsa, was a conductor on the YV from the 20s until it shut down in the 40s. Sad day when they ran the last train out. My great grandfather (Jim Law’s father) worked for the lumber company and raised his family on top of the incline in a tent cabin during the season. Story is told that my grandmother would ride the empty cars down to the bottom. She met my grandfather Bob Jirsa riding on the YV and had a wonderful life together. So thank you again for helping appreciate what their work life was like.

[@yvfan]

Dan... Thank you for your kind comments. I have been researching the YV for the past 50 years and first met Jim Law in the early 1970s. We would visit Jim every time we visited Yosemite NP and he would tell us interesting stories. I have built an HO scale model railroad of the Yosemite Valley Railroad and it includes most of the buildings which were in Incline including Jim's house, the station, etc. It has cast figures representing both Jim and his father. They are included in a KZbin video of my layout: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e3mqnI1-gdZ0grs You might find it interesting... Jack Burgess

[@lawrenceeichenlaub9880]

What an interesting story. Thanks for writing it.

[@nwpioneer2551]

What a fantastic layout. So much more than the regular bridges, tunnels stations, etc.

[@charliemessenger6537]

My grandfather worked there in the late ‘30’s. He ran a donkey at one time. He had his knee crushed loading either a flat car or a truck, I don’t recall. Not a convenient place for a major injury. Thanks for this video.

[@joakiminnala2264]

Many thanks for the very interesting film. Very nice model railway.😃👍👍

[@yvfan]

Thanks...if you are interested, you can see my entire layout on KZbin at kzbin.info/www/bejne/e3mqnI1-gdZ0grs Jack

[@miker2002]

What a wonderful history and engineering lesson....along with Jack's mindblowing research and modeling!

[@yvfan]

If you are interested, you can see my entire layout on KZbin at kzbin.info/www/bejne/e3mqnI1-gdZ0grs Jack

[@Iancad1]

Absolutely fascinating!! I lived in Groveland back in the 1980's and remember the mighty sugar pines so well. You have done a great service by recording the glory days of California logging. KZbin at its very, very best.

[@ThomasWLalor]

This was MY pleasure to view. Thanks

[@deecooper1567]

As. Child growing up, my father worked in the logging industry. He was a Jack of all trades…. Meaning he did several different jobs from running heavy equipment, climbing trees, cutting down, even hauling to the mills. I remember the ponds overflowing with logs waiting to be cut or transported somewhere else. I was only allowed to go with him at certain times & had to stay in the truck. A Very hard job & many accidents. Thank you for sharing this. 👵🏻👩‍🌾❣️

[@thomasgrider6697]

That's pretty neat.👍🙂..I'm a sawmill worker myself..trimmer operator..and..i like seeing and learning the history of this type of work from back in earlier times..

[@travelingman484]

This movie was absolutely priceless to me. I was never one for the lumber railroads history and never really understood how they worked. I am totally taken back by the incredible ingenuity and backbone of these railroad men. This work was not for the faint of heart for sure. Thank you for a great education.

[@popps2502]

Wow! Great presentation! Thank you for your time and work in making this video, injoyed watching.

[@skydiverclassc2031]

It always amazes me just how much preparatory work went in to getting the logs out to the mill. Hoist houses, rail lines, bridges, trestles, cables, all that stuff. At around 13:00, I would imagine that wooden bridge would have to be removed at the end of each season for it to be useful as lumber. It would rot pretty severely if left out there for a few winters until they were done with it. Have you ever heard of the Diamond Match Co. railroads in Butte and Tehama Counties in Northern California? Very extensive railroad system up til about 1953; now replaced by dirt roads. A good book called Matches, Rails, and Flumes details the history of the railroads. It featured a double incline, meaning the loaded cars were let down one side of Butte Creek Canyon, and then hoisted up the other and hooked into the mainline to Stirling City. Thanks for the presentation and the history lesson.

[@pnwRC.]

Great video. THANKS for sharing!

[@tsgmultimedia]

You're welcome, and thanks for watching!

[@tomedgar4375]

Wow! Great presentation, thank you

[@cdouglas1942]

What a treasure those old photos are. Give life you your excellent oral description. Your HO efforts not too shabby either. Well done, thanks.

[@Palmit_]

Utterly fascinating. I can only express my genuine thanks.

[@uweschmidt4636]

Thanks!

[@tsgmultimedia]

Thank you, too!

[@EmmaRitson]

enjoyed that very much

[@tsgmultimedia]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@haroldchoate7497]

Thank you, that was a very entertaining presentation. The engineering involved in these systems is very impressive and sophisticated. The distance, weights and volumes were huge. They apparently operated for close to 40 years. The scale boggles my mind. Again thank you,

[@yvfan]

Thank you Harold! I totally agree with you! I was a civil engineer as was the designer of both inclines but he also was able to design the wire ropes used on the inclines as well as the loads on the rollers between the rails at the top of the incline as a loaded car started down the incline! Jack Burgess

[@Vrod1432]

Awesome history lesson ! Thank you John and Jack.

[@hsmallwood40]

thank you for your time to put this video together...

[@ArnCital]

At 18:02 the electrical panel that the relays are mounted to is NOT steel but slate. Yep, rock an inch thick. I worked in a steel mill in the early 70s in Pueblo, Colorado, and many of the old electrical panels were exposed like this one and the slate was drilled and tapped for the relays. Heavy but they would not burn nor carbon track from DC voltages. The wiring for the relays was behind the slate and came through drilled holes with a screw and terminal on the back side. The resistors on the rack above the relay panels are used as field weakening resistors for speed control on shunt-wound DC motors. The resistors actually are cast iron. In the steel mill, Colorado Fuel & Iron, the DC Voltage was 250 Volts. I spent time replacing the big copper tips on the relays along with the ceramic arc chute plates on each side of the relay tip. That panel is either new or very well maintained. I would say nearly new due to the lack of dirt on the resistor bank; resistors get hot and air circulation would bring a lot of dirt. The resistor bank can also absorb generated voltages for braking.

[@yvfan]

Thanks for that information AmCital. Someday I want to build a scale model of the hoist house and will us this information! Jack

[@andrewsnow7386]

AmCital, it sounds like you know your way around this equipment (unlike me), so maybe you can speculate about the power generated from braking being fed back onto the grid. It seems like if the grid was AC, then synchronizing the phase to feed the grid would be difficult. Or could the local power company have been running DC?

[@ArnCital]

@@andrewsnow7386 Power would not be fed back to the grid in those days. Typically the 250 Volt DC would be generated using an ac motor driving a DC generator (MG set). Under braking the motor would be used as a generator feeding power from braking into resistors. I would bet a small sum that Westinghouse drum controllers and Westinghouse Mill Master DC motors were used. That would give some motor speed control. There was little ac motor speed control in those days, especially with a varying load. Most of the time the DC motor would be in braking mode as the logs went downhill. There would also be large electrically-operated mechanical drum brakes. The panel in the picture has DC contactors with one set of contacts on the positive and the other on the negative supply. Neither + or - would be grounded. The operator would have to be good to keep the load from running away and breaking the cable if a sudden stop was attempted. BTW, the Mill Master motors used poured babbitt bearings (lead alloy) and a lot of thick oil for lubrication; there were no seals so a lot of oil was lost in operation so that was part of the reason for the oil tanker.

[@henryw4129]

Great video! Thanks for posting.

[@johnbarham7718]

Yes I really did enjoy the presentation.

[@tsgmultimedia]

Awesome, thank you!

[@gregmoore5905]

Just watched this in amazement. My grandfather & partner were in the lumber business in Orange, Texas and western LA in the late 1800s & early 1900s (Lutcher & Moore Lumber Co.) Their railroad operation brought yellow pine logs to the Sabine River mill at Orange. However, the land there was flat; they certainly didn't have to contend with steep inclines. Thank you for this presentation.

[@roberts3942]

Outstanding history lesson about the men, equipment, and organizations that helped to build our country. Kudos!

[@1GirlieGirl]

I was just in Jackson Hole & we drove the Teton Pass to Victor, Idaho. The most breathtaking scenery. The mountains are crazy steep. This is incredible.

[@P61guy61]

Excellent. Thank you for posting

[@tsgmultimedia]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@P61guy61]

@@tsgmultimedia I really did. Pretty crafty folks back then.

[@michellepugh2859]

Incredible video!! Thanks!!

[@livingadamman7994]

WOW the wonders of days gone by, some bloody nice logs there well worth the effort !

[@TomokosEnterprize]

Thanks so much. You have a great piece of our logging industry here.

[@hamiltonsullivan6563]

Loved this video John

[@OdeeOz]

One of the Marvels of Engineering Construction for its time. Thanks for sharing this with us all. 💯👍👏

[@jccolmenero1499]

What a great, and informative video! Thank you!

[@rossmurphy7675]

Thank you, thanks Jack, this is the best videos i have seen on this type of logging. I absolutely loved the photos and video as well.

[@yvfan]

I'm glad that you liked it so much. Jack Burgess

[@coltheesacker5656]

Very Cool!!!!!! Love the whole thing from the history, to the restored films to the models at the end!

[@Sugarmountaincondo]

Superb Presentation !!

[@randallparker8477]

My Grandfather was a millwright on the various logging operations in the central valley and Sierras in those days. He helped build some of the inclines and the flumes from Sugar Pine Lumber coming down to Madera. He also was one of the mule skinners on freight wagons up into the hills.

[@yvfan]

I have a friend who researches and models the Sugar Pine Lumber Company.

[@tracymesser296]

That’s cool having this grand history in your family’s past! I’d want to know everything that happened!! Cool stuff!!

[@loganpe427]

Yeah, a world I'm fascinated by but have never had the opportunity to get involved in, wonderful!

[@butchyork9060]

Very nice, really enjoyed it, thanks.

[@mygarden365]

Thank You for presenting this video.

[@paulchamberlain3359]

Thank you for making this video

[@billbabcock6324]

Thank you so very much this was the greatest!!

[@tsgmultimedia]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@robingilmore1444]

Excellent man. Thank you very much.

[@johnmoyer2255]

Awesome ! Thank you for sharing this video !

[@deeppurple3489]

That was a real cool presentation! Thanks so much!!

[@jamestommasin6542]

Thank you Jack, enjoyed it.

[@georgeantonaros5580]

Absolutely a Fantastic Presentation of America’s History !! 😊

[@Elkamino71]

Awesome video and well put together.

[@arnenelson4495]

EXCELLENT video, thank you!

[@yvfan]

Thanks Arne... Jack Burgess

[@berkeleygang1834]

Outstanding job. Great production. Thank you very much.

[@WaltScrivens]

Amazing video and models. Thank you for sharing this!

[@giulius7176]

Very nice!! Great Info......Thanks for sharing.

[@tsgmultimedia]

Thanks for watching!

[@steveshoemaker6347]

Thanks my friend.....This is outstanding awesome in ever way.....Your models are truly awesome in every way to....Work done logging is l thing the hardest work of all....Beautiful pictures of the way it was back many years ago....Once again thanks....!

[@yvfan]

If you are interested, you can see my entire layout on KZbin at kzbin.info/www/bejne/e3mqnI1-gdZ0grs Jack

[@Mastertech6]

FANTASTIC absolutely Fantastic. THANK YOU!

[@tsgmultimedia]

You're very welcome!

[@quantumss]

Very nicely done. Thanks

[@lucasszymanski114]

fantastic! please more videos like this!

[@pamtnman1515]

fabulous video, thank you

[@ohkeydokey]

Marvelous work, many thanks for showing this!

[@daveaharonian5541]

A fascinating operation. Thanks for sharing this!

[@1musicsearcher]

What a great video and narrative. Jack, I love your photos, they really show what “when men where men” meant.

[@Crazy.Rocketman]

Awesome job sir! who the hell would give this a thumbs down? both my Grandfathers logged from about 1915 into the 60's I never new about the incline logging, now I do thanks to you.

[@cadmanchannel]

That was great! Thank you for sharing.

[@open-minded-oldie]

Fascinating, thank you!

[@adecalungmilenial8047]

Good Nice

[@tonydeleo3642]

Jack, thanks for the response and information!

[@ohasis8331]

Good job man, appreciated.

[@michaelsouza3582]

One of my favorite drive's from Turlock. You nailed it.......

[@normansilver905]

Thank you for posting this. It is a real part of the history of El Portal area.

[@tsgmultimedia]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@orchidhouse297]

I was absolutely enthralled by the history wrapped into the video.. What impressive engineering.

[@toddwmac]

Thanks for sharing you passion....much appreciated.

[@kleetus92]

Fantastic presentation!

[@keithsorrels6903]

Thanks so much on your excellent presentation about logging and especially inclines. I visited a Diamond Match incline remains on Butte Creek in Butte County CA some years ago. It was certainly not nearly as long as the one in incline, CA, and seeing it raised a lot of questions that you answered. I also was able to ride the cable car incline on Lookout Mtn just west of Chattanooga TN. It was interesting to see the cable and supporting structures in action. Your modeling looked real, amazing. Thanks again, k

[@skipgilbert1190]

I enjoyed the video of the logging operation in Yosemite. I have visited Yosemite twice and always wondered how the logging operation worked. As I travel and hike in the Rocky Mountains I would think similar logging methods were used to log the forest. As I hike In the mountains I look for the big trees but realize that they were all logged back in the early 1900’s. Great research and documentation of a long gone industry.

[@curtesamoangelos5995]

Watched from Yosemite Kentucky. Locally pronounced as "Yoe Suh Might". This little town also had inclines for logging in the 1870's through early 1900's. Special engines and cabeling. I completely enjoyed your presentation and modeling. Just fantastic. Thank you for sharing!

[@yvfan]

The incorrect pronunciation is typical outside of California. It is the Indian name for the valley where they lived... Jack

[@KSparks80]

Great video. Thanks!

[@terrystewart2070]

Thank you Jack that was great!

[@Wilett614]

Your HO model Railroad of YV is Outstanding ! Very well done and scaled . Great Craftsmanship ... Thanks for the Video too

[@TIMMEH19991]

Fabulous film! Thanks so much for making it and uploading it.

[@mikemalliski8380]

Just a great video of how men really worked at one point in our country, so interesting and beautiful in that rugged terrain, thanks so much for making this video.

[@johncowper-smith1169]

I am very impressed. A lot of work putting this together. Thanks

[@bernardc2553]

OH man I'll be Re-watch ing this 1 !!

[@derrickanderson4932]

What a great presentation! Dave.

[@fabrizioviscardi40]

Nice video, cheers, Fabrizio

[@CM-ARM]

Jack this just brought back so many memories of my childhood. I grew up between Delhi and Dunlap. I lived in Dunlap before we moved to Delhi. We had a log cabin in Yosemite and spent the summer most of the time. I really don't remember much about the railroad but I do remember some things. Thank you so much for this, Chris

[@yvfan]

Chris...There isn't much left of the YV except the old roadbed is visible on the north side of the Merced River when you drive to Yosemite via Highway 140. If you are interested, there is a KZbin video of my entire layout at: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e3mqnI1-gdZ0grs You will need to cut/paste that link into KZbin. Jack

[@Cake41579]

Wow. Such a magnificent presentation and editing skills shown here. I Especially enjoyed the models. The attention to detail is unbelievable

[@836dmar]

Fascinating study. Thank you!

[@wideyxyz2271]

Brilliant piece very well presented with some fantastic history and amazing engineering. Fabulous modeling too.......

[@tsgmultimedia]

Many thanks!