Within the course of, the Waterville inventor created a brand new piece of apparatus that may change the world of building and the world of warfare.
BRADLEY, Maine — Greater than 120 years in the past, Alvin Lombard had an thought to hurry up lumbering within the Maine woods.
Within the course of, the Waterville inventor created a brand new piece of apparatus that may change the world of building and the world of warfare.
Lombard’s invention was a machine pushed by an countless observe — the sort now used on the whole lot from bulldozers to tanks.
In 1900, he revolutionized woodwork with the Lombard Log Hauler, a set of tracks mounted to a steam locomotive with skis on entrance.
On a snowy March morning, Herb Crosby of the Maine Forest and Logging Museum in Bradley, proudly pointed to 2 of these steam-powered machines and mentioned they have been exceptional.
“These machines might pull 300 tons of logs. They’d be stacked excessive and chained on,” he mentioned.
Crosby is a mechanical engineer and retired professor of engineering. He mentioned Lombard was a mechanical genius.
“Oh, he actually was, regardless that he did not go to highschool past a one-room schoolhouse.”
Crosby and fellow engineer Terry Harper are passionate in regards to the achievements of Lombard and his machines and take pleasure in retaining 4 of them in operating order.
“Different folks had tried concepts like this,” Crosby mentioned.” However might by no means make them work. I believe what made Alvin Lombard particular was perseverance. He saved at it [, and] discovered a greater manner. He would have a look at it, give it some thought, and give you a greater approach to make it work.”
Terry Harper in contrast Lombard to the Wright Brothers and different inventors of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
“Common folks got here from farms, from business, they usually had little training, [but] they might visualize the issue and visualize the answer,” Harper mentioned.
And he added Lombard was the chief amongst a household of inventors.
“Very sensible, very sensible. The variety of patents they held was wonderful. Between Alvin, Nathaniel, and Samuel, they maintain dozens of patents.”
Harper and Crosby mentioned Lombard constructed 82 of the steam-powered haulers, however in 1914 started constructing a gasoline-powered model. These turned much more profitable, mentioned Harper, who famous that a number of hundred have been constructed earlier than the corporate ceased manufacturing in 1936.
The museum solely operates the steam log haulers in summer time due to the danger of the water freezing within the pipes in winter. They confirmed off one in all their two gas-powered Lombards, an enormous, inexperienced machine with wheels on entrance and treads on the again. It was in-built 1935 to be a snowplow in Waterville.
On a snowy forest highway, Harper dealt with the driving as if it have been second nature and mentioned the machine is enjoyable to drive.
“Oh my gosh, sure. It is probably the most enjoyable you’ll be able to have at 5 miles an hour,” Harper laughed.
The machines are the museum’s pleasure, together with the hand-crafted, water-powered sawmill — regarded as the one one nonetheless working within the state.
Whereas everyone seems to be acquainted with the trendy model of Lombard’s invention, they mentioned that few folks, even in Maine, know his title.
That, they mentioned, ought to change.
“Its made in Maine, conceived in Maine, utilized in Maine, an incredible machine,” Harper mentioned.
And within the forest in Bradley, Lombard’s genius continues to be very a lot alive.