Hillcrest Lumber Co.

John T · **Joined:** Sun Sep 14, 2014 5:05 pm **Posts:** 1270

Does anyone have any information on or photographs of the Hillcrest Lumber Co. mill on Vancouver Island? I am particularly interested in the steam cranes used there. The mill closed in 1968. One of the cranes was purchased for the Victoria Pacific tourist railroad but was scrapped about 1980.

E&N6004 · **Posted:** Tue Apr 26, 2016 10:08 pm

Hello John: I'm not sure where you are located but here are some local resources which may be useful.
Happy hunting: Pat Hosford

https://www.flickr.com/photos/msdwilkie/albums/
http://www.cowichanvalleymuseum.bc.ca/archival-collection/index/module/media/pId/102/id/1195/category/gallery%7CLumbering/start/0/
http://search-bcarchives.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/hillcrest-lumber-company-mesachie-lake-bc
http://forestry.mosaictraining.ca/hillcrest_photos.html

tom moungovan · **Posted:** Wed Apr 27, 2016 9:34 am

John, I spent many days riding Climax 10 in the millyard, but never got off to photograph the pair of self-propelled cranes. My error. I believe that their main use was in loading flatcars with finished lumber and I always saw them out toward the lake and never behind the engine on the hwy side.

I did get one or two decent slides from the engineers side while switching that show them ahead of the Climax. If you'd like a print, pm me with your address.

John T · **Joined:** Sun Sep 14, 2014 5:05 pm **Posts:** 1270

Here are links to the photos of the Hillcrest cranes I have found.

Locomotive Crane
Browning C/N 1026 20 tons 8-wheel 1912
unknown first owner
Hillcrest Lbr. Co. Mesachie Lake, BC

Photographs
Browning (C/N 1026?) Steam (crane dated to 1913)
Osborn Bay Wharf Co., LTD. Crofton, BC
Hillcrest Lbr. Co. Mesachie Lake, BC
Terry Ferguson (Victoria Pacific Ry) #950 1969
(Victoria, BC 1970, Ladysmith, BC 1976 and scrapped 1980+.)
http://search.nbca.unbc.ca/index.php/cn ... d-victoria
http://search.nbca.unbc.ca/index.php/st ... e-victoria
Ohio Crane (taken 1965)
http://www.zelmeroz.com/album_rail/lz/r ... 01-071.jpg
http://www.zelmeroz.com/album_rail/lz/r ... 01-068.jpg
Unknown Builder 4 Wheel (taken 1965)
http://www.zelmeroz.com/timber/resource ... rest02.jpg
http://www.zelmeroz.com/timber/resource ... rest03.jpg
Industrial Works (taken 1965)
http://www.zelmeroz.com/timber/resource ... rest04.jpg
http://www.zelmeroz.com/album_rail/lz/r ... 01-065.jpg

softwerkslex · **Posted:** Thu Apr 28, 2016 6:27 pm

Is this crane in the back center what you are looking for? The photo is summer 1982.

John T · **Joined:** Sun Sep 14, 2014 5:05 pm **Posts:** 1270

Your shot of the E&N shop brings back many memories. The crane in the background is most likely:

Prince George-
Industrial Works C/N 2801 100 tons Wrecker Steam 1913 (operable)
Canadian Pacific Ry #414325 Victoria, Nelson & North Bend, BC
Central British Columbia Ry & Forest Industry Museum Prince George, BC 01-87
http://www.flickr.com/photos/canadagood/3271971085/

E&N6004 · **Posted:** Tue May 03, 2016 12:10 am

I found this image in a photo mosaic at the BC Forest Discovery Centre (formerly BC Forest Museum) which shows a steam crane at the Mesatchie Lake mill of Hillcrest. The photo was undated and contained no description.

Pat

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E&N6004 · **Posted:** Sun Oct 16, 2016 1:02 pm

Hello John: I'm not sure if you've seen these ones, but this may be what you're looking for:

Pat

https://www.flickr.com/photos/44480433@N05/4430352658/in/pool-e_nrailway/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/44480433@N05/4430353244/in/pool-e_nrailway/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/44480433@N05/4429587417/in/pool-e_nrailway/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/44480433@N05/4429586935/in/pool-e_nrailway/

John T · **Joined:** Sun Sep 14, 2014 5:05 pm **Posts:** 1270

Thank you Pat. I had not seen those photos before.

John T · **Joined:** Sun Sep 14, 2014 5:05 pm **Posts:** 1270

It has been almost two years but I have turned up a few more crumbs on the Hillcrest cranes. In 1947 they had two cranes at the mill and one at Osborn Bay Wharf. In 1953 they bought a used crane for the mill from Burrard Dry Dock Co. Sadly the only identification given are the BC boiler inspection numbers.

tom moungovan · **Posted:** Sun Aug 19, 2018 10:50 am

John , I wish I'd have done more exploring and looked at their pair of cranes closer than I did.

I can tell you that I saw both working at the same time at the mill In August of 1967 while riding Climax 10.

tom moungovan · **Posted:** Mon Aug 20, 2018 9:33 am

Don't have the exact date John, but it was 50 years ago this month that Hillcrest shut down and the 10 spot made her last revenue runs between the mill, up to Honeymoon Bay and down to the E&N interchange at Lake Cowichan. Harry Wright gave me some chromes of the day, taken in a typical rain.

John T · **Joined:** Sun Sep 14, 2014 5:05 pm **Posts:** 1270

My first trip to Vancouver Island was in September 1969. We didn't go up to Hillcrest because I had been told there was nothing left there. Terry Ferguson purchased the #10 Climax, a tank car and the Browning crane. I was told that he was given the fittings from the other cranes if he wanted them. After Terry's Victoria Pacific RR failed the equipment was stored at Crown Z,s yard in Ladysmith. In 1979 the Climax went to the Mount Rainier Scenic RR which Terry was involved in. The tank car and crane were scrapped.

The big cross compound Corliss mill engine from Hilcrest is on display at Fort Steele, BC.