Steam donkey

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A steam donkey or more corectly, the Dolbeer Logging Engine, is a type of stationary steam engine historically used during logging operations to haul logs to a log-landing. Logs were pulled with a wire cable attached to a winch. Also known as a donkey engine.

"Logging Engine" Patent 256,553

Steam donkey in the UBC Malcolm Knapp Research Forest

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 (horizontally 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.

The donkey engine revolutionized logging allowing loggers to abandon skid-roads and oxen teams and move away from easy river access^[1].

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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".

[edit] 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.