Looks just great, Jim!
Too wide? Maybe, but you might post a direct overhead shot. I’d expect you’re not, because with those empty log cars (which were sometimes full flatcars, IIRC) moving between the platform’s legs, which are bolted right against the platform’s sides, wider might be better than narrower. (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)
Excellent work buddy!
Somewhere in this cluster thread is what you can do with plastic bottles and reuseing them . However your approach is all good and you do you as my son tells me. I myself just look for shortcuts.
https://www.largescalecentral.com/forums/topic/16185/cvrr-utility-17?page=1
Love the posts/work Jim !
I included the above link in hope it will inspire what you can re purpose which would otherwise be trash polluting the planet.
It’s all good …thinking and drinking post ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^!
Rooster goes shallow
Thanks, guys (John, Dan, Bill, Doc, Cliff, Rooster) for the encouragement. Rooster: all technique pointers are super welcome, so thanks for that pointer. Recycling and repurposing is good but for some reason my brain hasn’t started working that way. Bill and John are also a masters of that.
Cliff, here’s a top down-ish view so you can see the width. I set the width so I could put the pilings outside of my roadbed (not a good reason) hence my worry that is a bit too wide. As I understood it, this platform would be put on top of a flatcar to move it to another location. So I’m not sure how wide is reasonable. I’m going with this since it is never going to move on my pike and I don’t have to worry about clearance. I just don’t want it to look stupid :-).
My 39th anniversary today, so I chose not to work on the train very much (self preservation? maybe…).
Cheers!
[edited to add John and Dan. doh!]
Thanks for the pic Jim, nice shot. Looks great! And yeah, make sense to clear your roadbed width.
Keep it up, looking forward to seeing your continuing progress!
Jim Rowson said:
Thanks, guys (John, Dan, Bill, Doc, Cliff, Rooster) for the encouragement. Rooster: all technique pointers are super welcome, so thanks for that pointer. Recycling and repurposing is good but for some reason my brain hasn’t started working that way. Bill and John are also a masters of that.
Cliff, here’s a top down-ish view so you can see the width. I set the width so I could put the pilings outside of my roadbed (not a good reason) hence my worry that is a bit too wide. As I understood it, this platform would be put on top of a flatcar to move it to another location. So I’m not sure how wide is reasonable. I’m going with this since it is never going to move on my pike and I don’t have to worry about clearance. I just don’t want it to look stupid :-).
My 39th anniversary today, so I chose not to work on the train very much (self preservation? maybe…). Very wise man!!!
Cheers!
[edited to add John and Dan. doh!]
Jim, I’m no expert on Surry Parker loaders, but I think the width is fine. It looks good on you RR and that’s all that matters. Happy anniversary, 39 years … obviously, you found the right one, congratulations.
Thanks gents. I’ll proceed (slowly, sadly) and see if I can get some of the superstructure done.
I got a couple of hours to work on the log loader and started on some of the superstructure. Here are a few shots showing some of the notches and other more intricate than usual woodwork involved. Kind of fun:
It doesn’t look like it in this picture but the beam at the top is exactly the same width as the base at the bottom. So that means there are a lot of weird angles here (the vertical braces slant in, the X in between has to fit into the non-90 degree angles at the corners). Some fiddling and sanding involved for both that and the notches involved in building the cross braces.
Meh. Just went back and looked at the inspiration build and noticed that I need a smaller upper beam so I think I’ll need to rework this. More fiddling!
Here’s a look at the inspiration, note that the top beam is not, in fact, the same width as the platform. Bummer:
Thanks for posting Jim, it’s looks just great!
It’s nice you are telling us your screw up or is it? Are there really rules on these or are you building a specific model?
well, what happened here, Rooster, is that I looked at it again after posting pictures and it just didn’t look “right” so I went back to the inspiration (which is a model, not the prototype) and it was clear that I screwed up. by that time I had already posted the wrong thing, so I did a mea culpa and will fix it when I get some time again. sad.
Looking very nice Jim, this is a good watch, thanks for sharing
Dennis
Jim Rowson said:
well, what happened here, Rooster, is that I looked at it again after posting pictures and it just didn’t look “right” so I went back to the inspiration (which is a model, not the prototype) and it was clear that I screwed up. by that time I had already posted the wrong thing, so I did a mea culpa and will fix it when I get some time again. sad.
Jim,
You are looking at Thomas Yorke rendition drawings? So are you incorrect or his drawings and was there only one ever built? Do you have any Surry Parker official drawings and if so please share them! Noting against Mr. Yorke’s drawings as they are fantastic but whenever I build I research heavily and don’t do plans. If plans are “your plan” then so be it but perhaps you might want to look at what I found in about an hour. I don’t even like steam but love history! Besides Surry was an eastcoast guy so why is a west coast guy modeling his work?
(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/north-carolina-state-archives/albums/72157650140063016/page1
There are 2 pages here
My question …was there only 1 Surry Parker log loader ?
Rick Marty said:
Great project Jim. Yea the Surry-Parker’s were used mostly in the East and South areas of the country.
Your correct they were transported on a flat or skel log car around the woods then jacked up and secured once in position.
I have an O scale model I built abot 30 years ago still kicking around here somewhere.
OK…re-reading as suggested by the experts. Thanks Rick !
Not sure if there were many or few Surry Parker loaders. The prototype picture you posted shows a short top beam so I think I’ll need to redo my crane support. This pic in particular:
I love that you are so good at (and into) finding the historical record. I find my interest to be mostly in what I think of as “caricatures” of prototypes: pulling in the most eye popping details from real historical items (online, offline buildings, rolling stock, locos, railcars, etc.) into a single model. I don’t always get that right, of course, but I am not into recreating a specific actual prototype. Not to say that you are wrong in your interests. It is a big hobby and there’s room for all kinds of approaches. Oh yeah, and I don’t care about what region of the country it was used in, if it is an eye popping example of something that illustrates an interesting and cool part of the historical record, then I’m happy to use it. I’m sure real experts will roll their eyes (not talking about you Rooster), but it’s my railroad, so I’m the one that needs to be happy :-).
However, I love having things shoved in front of my eyes, so anytime you want to share a prototype picture with me, I’m all for it. Thanks for these pointers. The bathing beauties in the Surry Parker Flickr set were entertaining too!
Cheers!
Just a little historic fill for your loader project Jim.
Mr. Surry Parker opened his shop for production of log loaders in 1893 at Pine Town, North Carolina.
His first machines were “Model 1” loaders, these units were all wood frame and rolled on their own trucks and were of limited use. Soon the machine was modified, adding the Jack screws at the corners for lifting above the log cars and loosing the built on trucks. This created a much more versatile unit and was labeled the “Model 2”. Though it had to be hauled on an empty log car from landing to landing it was quick and easy to set up.
The “Model 2” is the one you are building Jim. The last known unit in operation was at the Argent Lumber Company in South Carolina in 1956 when Argent Company shut down operations.
The Surry Parker Loader was a light weight machine constructed for light duty and cheap to build and buy. It was perfect for the small log contractors in the lowland Pine forests and Cypress swamps but fell out of favor when logging moved into the heavier/larger timber in the mountains. In the larger timber areas it could not compete with the output of the larger machines like McGifferts, Deckers, or Lidgerwoods even though these machines were much more expensive to buy and operate.
If you want more/better information on these Mal Ferrell did an article on them in the March 2003 issue of the Gazette.
