Forestry Memories

Clearing 1953 windblow in Deeside

Photograph courtesy of Sandy Tough, Huntly.

One of a series of 7 high quality photographs showing the blown timber clearing up operations progressing after the devastating storm in Jan 1953 that wiped out most of the medium and older aged forests in North East Scotland. The location is not identified but thought to be somewhere in Deeside and the people featured are unnamed. Any help to identify location or people would be greatly appreciated.

A beautifully detailed photograph (one of two) of a team of Riddoch’s men setting up a double bench saw mill to be driven by a steam engine. On the back of the photograph is says ‘Rebuilding the Dutch Oven’.

In the back ground can be seen the floor of the double bench mill set up on blocks and large pieces of squared timber all under a new roof. The men seem to be working on fixing up the long cross drive shaft with its series of pulleys which is itself belt driven by the steam engine and in turn belt drives the two benches and possibly other machines. As the outlines of the rollers can just be seen the moveable benches themselves are not yet fitted.

In the foreground in the elderly iron wheeled steam engine sitting up securely on large timber baulks being prepared for operation. The two men are building the ‘Dutch Oven’ which is a large brick fire box which encloses the front part of the steam engine. Apparently the fire box extended part way under the machine and certainly up the front and was fed with slabs from the mill by a fireman. Saw dust was blow fed into the top at times but regulated with the feeding speed of the slabs as too much saw dust drowned out the fire. In frosty weather the iced up slabs were a real problem to burn and even though some were always kept under cover and dry. Sawmills often had to pay off men in severe weather if enough steam could not be raised.

Behind the two men building the brick walls is what is likely to be the ash pit doors but off to the side is a large metal pipe, funnel and some circular rims. Can anyone confirm the purpose of these items and type of steam engine? Gainsborough engine has been mentioned. Note the devastated Scots pine forest behind.

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Groups: Forestry Areas, Forestry in Action, Gale 1953, Groups of people, Northeast Scotland , Sawmills, pulp mills, chipboard mills

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