Forestry Memories

Loading a Timber Lorry with a hydraulic crane

Loading a Timber Lorry with a hydraulic crane

Date Added: 23 July 2013 Contributor: Norman Davidson Year of Photo: 1970 Picture No: 1897

Photograph taken by Don MacCaskill and image courtesy of Bridget MacCaskill, Strathyre. Don was based as Head Forester at Inverinan from about 1960 through to about 1968 before transferring initially to Allean Forest and then Strathyre Forest in1972.

This series of 12 photographs, possibly taken during the 1970s, showing the loading operation is mainly contained in the attached PDF but the location, driver and forest are not identified. The very fine logs being loaded appear to be exceptional Scots pine or possibly some Douglas fir but your thoughts on the species and quality would be very welcome.

Can anyone identify the location and driver and also comment on the lorry and crane type with suggestions of who owne the outfit?

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Groups: Forestry in Action, Other Vehicles and Machines

4 Comments

Does anyone remember Bill Elger who was at Strathyre and Rannoch. He was a character Comment left on 03 August 2013 at 21:10 by Ronnie MacArthur
Various models of ALBION, LEYLAND, and A.E.C lorries used the "Ergomatic" cab as featured on this truck. It was fitted between 1965 and 1981, approx.
I`m fairly sure that the truck in the picture is an A.E, C. "Marshall" model. The rear axles and suspension are not of a type that would be commonly found in either of the other two makes. It seems to be missing a rear number plate, and looks to be in well used condition, suggesting that it might only have been used for forwarding at the time of the photograph. Possibly Aberfoyle Motors, or Sheffield and co? Comment left on 02 January 2014 at 22:01 by John MacDonald
That Bill Elger you mention is my father. Comment left on 14 May 2014 at 05:58 by Ewan Elger
Hi, Aberfoyle Motors had Atlas cranes mounted on Albion or Leyland LAD cabbed 6 wheelers. Registered typically on 1969 G plates; these were reversed up to the timber trailer to load it on the forestry road. They were usually left in the forest and visited by the timber lorry itself, which was usually an AEC, then a Leyland Buffalo, followed by ERF and MAN units drawing a 4 wheeler double axle trailer.

This picture you have looks like a field or clearing, with the Ergo cab, rigid Leyland unit.

Other operators I remember in the Aberfoyle area included, WB Young of Aberfoyle, then Auchterarder and a lone operator from Buchlyvie who used rigids like this Leyland unit in the photograph.

Does anybody have more pictures, as I wished my family who owned Aberfoyle Motors from the 1930s till 1987 had taken more? Comment left on 21 November 2016 at 19:16 by Steve Johnson
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