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A 'steam donkey', is a powered winch most commonly found in past logging operations, though occasionally used for other industries . They typically comprised a of a sturdy frame on which was mounted a powered winch used for hauling in objects with rope or cable. Most models also had a boiler (usually vertical) for generating steam.
Steam Donkeys, also known as 'donkey engines' (so named because of the animals they replaced), were frequently equipped with skids, or sleds ("sleighs" in Canada) to aid them during transit from one "setting" to the next. If a donkey was to be moved, one of it's lines was attached to a tree or other strong anchor, and the machine would drag itself forward. The skids, though they wore-out quickly, aided greatly in helping the donkey clear almost any obstacle in its path. Some early vertical-spool donkeys had wood frames that doubled as a sled. Usually, some sort of fuel tank would be attached on the rear of the sled, and the most donkeys also had a make-shift shelter called a "donkey house" constructed from scrap planks and corrugated sheet metal. Steam donkeys were classified by their Builders, how they were built, and what they were designed to be used for. Different types of donkeys included roading-donkeys/engines (roaders), yarding-donkeys/engines (yarders), loading-donkeys/engines (loaders), snubbing-donkeys/engines (snubbers), and many, many others.
John Dolbeer (1827-1902) of Crescent City, California, invented the donkey engine in August of 1881. The patent (number: 256553) was issued April 18, 1882 . On Dolbeer's first model, he wrapped a 150-foot, 4½ inch manila rope several times around a gypsy head (vertically mounted spool) and attached the other end to a log. The donkey pulled the log toward the engine. The engine was moved by attaching the line to tree and pulling it along on its log skids. Eventually, steam donkeys were built with multiple horizantally-mounted drums/spools, on which was wound heavy steel cable instead of the original rope. The donkey engine revolutionized logging, allowing loggers to abandon ox teams and move away from easy river access John Dolbeer invents the donkey engine and revolutionizes logging in August 1881. David Wilma [1]
Steam Donkeys were also found to be useful for powering other machines such as pile drivers, slide-back loaders (also known as slide-jammers), cherry-pickers (a sled-mounted crane used for loading logs on railroad cars that a grading crew had cut down), and others.
Eventually, the internal-combustion engine came along, and with it came the diesel crawler, which eventually put an end to the steam donkey. Though some have been preserved in museums, very few are in operating order. A great number still sit abandoned in the forests, rusting in the spot where they dropped their fires not so long ago. Steam donkeys also found other uses. Smaller ones were employed by docks for various reasons, & some steam donkeys were also bought by mines. Instead of having large log sleds, these were often built with large planks for runners. Some have even been mounted in small carts with wheels. Similar small steam engines known as "donkeys" were sometimes found on large sailing ships towards the end of the 19th century. A ship's donkey engine was not used to propel the vessel but to power a single windlass to which various loads could be attached such as anchor cables, halyards, and hoists for cargo. Having such an engine allowed larger ships to be sailed by fewer crew.
An auxiliary engine on a sailing craft (which ''does'' propel the vessel) is still sometimes informally known as "the donk".
★ The Anatomy of a Steam Donkey — (image)
★ Steam Donkeys
★ The Donkey Engine — Steam & Engine of Australia
★ Steam Power — Pacific County Historical Society and Museum
★ University of Washington Libraries: Digital Collections:
★ Clark Kinsey Photographs Over 1000 images by commercial photographer Clark Kinsey documenting the logging and milling camps and other forest related activities in Washington State, ca. 1910-1945. Includes images of donkey engines.
★ Darius Kinsey Photographs Images from the period 1890-1939, documenting the logging industry in Washington State. Includes images of loggers and logging camps, skid roads, donkey engines, loading operations, logging trucks and railroads.
★ Man to Machine: Peninsula Logging Online museum exhibit based upon the Clark Kinsey Logging Photographs Collection and the recollections of Harry C. Hall, who worked as a logger on the Olympic Peninsula in the early 1900s. Includes a video on the Hobi family logging history (late 1800s – early 1900s). Includes many images of donkey engines.
★ Yarder – a larger steam-powered logging machine
★ Lidgerwood – manufacturer of steam-powered logging equipment
★ Geared steam locomotive – often used on forestry railways
★ Stationary steam engine
1. Richard L. Williams, The Loggers, (New York: Time-Life Books, 1976), 112-113; ISBN 0-8094-1527-5
Steam Donkeys, also known as 'donkey engines' (so named because of the animals they replaced), were frequently equipped with skids, or sleds ("sleighs" in Canada) to aid them during transit from one "setting" to the next. If a donkey was to be moved, one of it's lines was attached to a tree or other strong anchor, and the machine would drag itself forward. The skids, though they wore-out quickly, aided greatly in helping the donkey clear almost any obstacle in its path. Some early vertical-spool donkeys had wood frames that doubled as a sled. Usually, some sort of fuel tank would be attached on the rear of the sled, and the most donkeys also had a make-shift shelter called a "donkey house" constructed from scrap planks and corrugated sheet metal. Steam donkeys were classified by their Builders, how they were built, and what they were designed to be used for. Different types of donkeys included roading-donkeys/engines (roaders), yarding-donkeys/engines (yarders), loading-donkeys/engines (loaders), snubbing-donkeys/engines (snubbers), and many, many others.
Dolbeer "Logging Engine" Patent 256,553
12 x 14 Empire (?) Steam donkey in the UBC Malcolm Knapp Research Forest, Maple Ridge, BC Canada
John Dolbeer (1827-1902) of Crescent City, California, invented the donkey engine in August of 1881. The patent (number: 256553) was issued April 18, 1882 . On Dolbeer's first model, he wrapped a 150-foot, 4½ inch manila rope several times around a gypsy head (vertically mounted spool) and attached the other end to a log. The donkey pulled the log toward the engine. The engine was moved by attaching the line to tree and pulling it along on its log skids. Eventually, steam donkeys were built with multiple horizantally-mounted drums/spools, on which was wound heavy steel cable instead of the original rope. The donkey engine revolutionized logging, allowing loggers to abandon ox teams and move away from easy river access John Dolbeer invents the donkey engine and revolutionizes logging in August 1881. David Wilma [1]
Steam Donkeys were also found to be useful for powering other machines such as pile drivers, slide-back loaders (also known as slide-jammers), cherry-pickers (a sled-mounted crane used for loading logs on railroad cars that a grading crew had cut down), and others.
Eventually, the internal-combustion engine came along, and with it came the diesel crawler, which eventually put an end to the steam donkey. Though some have been preserved in museums, very few are in operating order. A great number still sit abandoned in the forests, rusting in the spot where they dropped their fires not so long ago. Steam donkeys also found other uses. Smaller ones were employed by docks for various reasons, & some steam donkeys were also bought by mines. Instead of having large log sleds, these were often built with large planks for runners. Some have even been mounted in small carts with wheels. Similar small steam engines known as "donkeys" were sometimes found on large sailing ships towards the end of the 19th century. A ship's donkey engine was not used to propel the vessel but to power a single windlass to which various loads could be attached such as anchor cables, halyards, and hoists for cargo. Having such an engine allowed larger ships to be sailed by fewer crew.
An auxiliary engine on a sailing craft (which ''does'' propel the vessel) is still sometimes informally known as "the donk".
| Contents |
| External links |
| See Also |
| References |
External links
★ The Anatomy of a Steam Donkey — (image)
★ Steam Donkeys
★ The Donkey Engine — Steam & Engine of Australia
★ Steam Power — Pacific County Historical Society and Museum
★ University of Washington Libraries: Digital Collections:
★ Clark Kinsey Photographs Over 1000 images by commercial photographer Clark Kinsey documenting the logging and milling camps and other forest related activities in Washington State, ca. 1910-1945. Includes images of donkey engines.
★ Darius Kinsey Photographs Images from the period 1890-1939, documenting the logging industry in Washington State. Includes images of loggers and logging camps, skid roads, donkey engines, loading operations, logging trucks and railroads.
★ Man to Machine: Peninsula Logging Online museum exhibit based upon the Clark Kinsey Logging Photographs Collection and the recollections of Harry C. Hall, who worked as a logger on the Olympic Peninsula in the early 1900s. Includes a video on the Hobi family logging history (late 1800s – early 1900s). Includes many images of donkey engines.
See Also
★ Yarder – a larger steam-powered logging machine
★ Lidgerwood – manufacturer of steam-powered logging equipment
★ Geared steam locomotive – often used on forestry railways
★ Stationary steam engine
References
1. Richard L. Williams, The Loggers, (New York: Time-Life Books, 1976), 112-113; ISBN 0-8094-1527-5
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