Harvesting machines at Buchan Forest District 1991-1994
The VHS tape was handed in by Tom Dow, Rhynie, but all the action was filmed by Mike Bremner, Knock, Huntly, roughly between the years of 1991 and 1994 inclusive. Both men were a team that operated the first thinning harvester purchased by the Forestry Commission for Buchan Forest District in 1990. See video link below.
The first video action in windblown trees at Back o’Bennachie is of Tom Dow operating the Atlas 1104 Excavator /Pika 450 Felling Head combination FC64????,purchased in 1990. This first part of film also covers a brief view of Doug Morrison, Gartly, operating a Bruunett Forwarder at timber stack and a glimpse of the harvesting team support trailer and workshop. This machine was brought in for about three weeks to get over a very soft wet site in Edingight where the Kockums would have done severe damage to the ground. On going back to the harvester it is obvious that the Pika Head is struggling to run the trees through the knives and may be due in this case to the rising sap in the spring growth reducing the ability of the rollers to grip but also may be partially due to the low hydraulic flows in the base machine.
The next action scene at Back o’Bennachie is of the supporting Muir-Hill Tractor driven by Tom Dow pulling out the harvester track that had come off its rollers. The joining link and pin proved impossible to open and had to be burnt out with a gas torch by the mechanics at roadside.
The second site features Doug Morrison working two Kockum 84-35 Fowarders at a site in Clashindarroch Forest on the spur road below Clayshot Hill. There was a substantial climb from the burn at the bottom of the hill up to the road way and Mike recalls that Doug’s regular machine heated up badly and a second machine was called in but it too heated up. The temporary solution involved Doug operating one machine for one load then letting it cool down while he used the other one for the following load! Brian Mearns is the mechanic attending to the machine as Doug (with cap) explains the issues.
There is a brief view of the Buchan Forest District Akerman H7 Excavator base with Lako 60 harvesting head operated by Peter Bremner working in a Norway spruce clearfell. Note the blue tank for the urea solution that was sprayed onto the cut stumps at the process of felling to reduce fungal infection by Fommes annosus (Heterobasidium). The scene quickly shifts back to the Clayshot site where the Atlas harvester is being attended to by Brian Mearns the mechanic from Forestry Commission Balnacoul workshop. Tom Dow may have been operating the spare forwarder while the harvester is under repair and is seen approaching the Brian the mechanic. Note that the Kockums Forwarders had been modified at the Balnacoul Workshops with extended bunks to hold two bays of three metre pulp and longer sawlogs. It was a bit controversial but the forwarders were well built tough machines and coped well with the modifications. Productivity went up but environmentally much harder on the site as only having 6 wheels.
The next site and scene is a contract clear fell harvester working somewhere in windblown trees in the Bin Forest. The large Atlas excavator base with a Silvatec harvesting head owned by Charlie Paterson who is actually felling the large tree for the harvester to grab. The harvester looks very capable of handling the large tree sizes and working its way well against the lie of the trees pointing tip first next to the machine.
The final set of scenes are all associated with one of the public ‘Open Days’ held in the Bin Forest to provide visiting public with an idea of some aspects of a working forest. Mike has managed to capture some short views of contractor Ian Harrold, Glass, mounding in preparation for replanting a felled crop; Tom Groat Forestry Commission harvester Operator thinning Sitka spruce crop with the Atlas harvester; Hay’s Coaches hired for the day to take the public around the circuit with frequent drop off and pick up points; Peter Bremner operating the Akerman clearfell harvester with possibly a contract Forwarder (What is it?) taking timber to the roadside; two horse loggers (One called Kirsty?) from Ayrshire direction and finally two tree surgeons (Who?) taking a Scots pine down in sections.
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Groups: Forestry Areas, Forestry in Action, Northeast Scotland , Timber harvesters, processors, forwarders and cable cranes, Video