ASMA Steam Donkey Exhibit
The Steam Donkey Exhibit features an ASMA restored 1945 Clyde Iron Works steam donkey connected to a steam engine and wire cable winch.
A Logging Donkey
Logging Steam Donkeys were stove-wood powered steam boilers used in the woods by loggers, to haul logs by cable to a certain spot to "yard" or stack them for removal to a mill. They were also used to run "high leads", cables attached to tall poles and pulley systems to pull logs out of the woods. Also known as a "Yarding Donkey", they also loaded narrow-guage logging trains, and sometimes were even mounted on the train itself.
The Logging Donkey Steam Engine & Cable Winch
The Steam Donkey was usually built on wooden or metal skid plates that could be slid from area to area in the woods by the donkey operator using cables attached to trees, and by using oxen, mule or horse teams. The steam boiler was wood-fired, and the resulting steam powered a small single piston steam engine attached to a cable winch or two.
Logging Donkey Crew
The Logging Donkey Crew would consist of the boiler tenders, wood cutters, cable setters, and even stock wranglers to take care of the team of either oxen, mules or horses. In a day, when much work was done by hand, there were no lack of jobs for people!
History of the ASMA Steam Donkey
Coming soon...