The Briden-Roen Sawmill in Rollag Minnesota.
I can tell you right now, every swingin’ dick working in this sawmill is a better man than I am.
Apparently it runs on 3 antique Case steam engines and as you can plainly see, one of those is still in a functioning tractor.
This video is from 2021,
Guaranteed they don’t listen to the “music” backing up the short clip…
Toxicavenger and Bill in Tennessee you beat me to it. The music of the machines is what’s wanted, not some unmusic added for no good reason!
The sound of the machines at work was apparently not enough for whoever put this together, they just HAD to superimpose shit “music” over it all like a sewer explosion in a chocolate factory. I regret that I have lived long enough to see the ghetto-ization of America.
I’m always amazed by old technology that works that is still around. Did you know that the classic design “bridge forward” Great Lakes cargo ships like the Arthur Anderson or the Alpena are still running boiler tube fed steam turbines? They are actual steam ships. There are a lot of remote oil wells in Texas that are still run by fly wheel “hit and miss” engines and I think it has been many decades since anyone built a new flywheel engine. Those things are old.
Working green chain cutting railroad ties and mining timbers was the toughest job I had in my life.
Piling green chain is indeed a physical job. At the mill I worked in part of the job required stacking Sugar Pine 5/4 ‘sinker’ shop and moulding boards that were up to 28″ wide. They don’t call them sinkers for nothing. Not easy to physically lift half the weight of a board like that and put it into the top of a unit that’s shoulder high to a short guy like me. Much easier for my 6’2″ partner who was built like a brick poop house.
That is beautiful to watch. Old school industry has not completely disappeared.
First comment, stick that noise passing for music up your…
Second thought, the boiler on that tractor has seen many cycles, some would consider it an explosion waiting to happen.
You have no clue about the old steam, tractor and hit-n-miss culture in the north.
These are inspected, repaired and if need be rebuilt by craftsmen that know what they are doing, usually with decades under their belt.
Look up threshing shows in Minnesota and realize there are typically hundreds of each type mentioned, almost all of them have a sawmill and working blacksmith shop, and at least the Almelund Threshing Show has around a 20-mile tractor parade that goes around a bit of the county.
People who use boilers are aware of the dangers…Look up how many boiler explosions lately, much less deaths in the last 200 years than die in a bathtub in the US each year.
Kind of like hearing each time blacks get killed by Whites each year and looking up the stats the other way around that are never mentioned.
No need to eff up the beautiful noise from a steam engine with any music. My wife and i went on the dinner cruise in New Orleans on the Steamboat Natchez, the paddle wheel steamboat which has two tandem-compound steam engines. after dinner we went down in the engine room and watched the huge pistons driving the paddle wheels, the mechanic crew sit in the middle of the two running and adjusting what needs to be attended to. Gets steamy hot in there, but a hell of a lot of fun to watch. The only thing i didn’t like about the trip is before you board they have a calliope up on top they play for about 15 minutes while nice, is very loud
I had the pleasure of working at an old LP saw mill on the mud flats in Tacoma Washington, as contract security to keep the leftist tree hugger types from spiking shit and sabotaging equipment in the late 90s. Very fascinating to watch it all work, awesome guys on the job making it happen. Piles and piles of wood went through the process. Good times indeed
I don’t think “balls out” and “sawmill” should be used in the same sentence…
Was the foot stool video not warning enough?
New saw mills are optimized and computer run, they have to turn away trees that are too big. So this plant is very flexible, I would be willing to bet. Plus, all the equipment is paid for, you just have to pay to maintain it, and since it was built with huge safety margins I bet it runs like a champ. I toured a paper mill built in the 1920s. I asked, why not upgrade. Building new would cost 1 billion dollars. I’d love a tour of that mill, but yeah, I’m too old to even think about lifting a board.
You are absolutely correct, I worked for Irvington-Moore for a couple years as a Sawmill Automation engineer and had the fun time of getting to know the input, processing, and output of the modern sawmill. Totally different than this operation, and since I love Live Steam I wouldn’t mind working there – although I imagine there’s not a lot of control electronics at the mill (if any).
This mill will still be running when the SHTF…
Surprised the EPA hasn’t shut them down….
I’ve worked around those line-shaft drives and have a darn healthy respect for them. You gotta be careful around those things, lest ye be snatched up and devoured.
I know Jim Briden and my uncle used to drive the sled. They’re both retired from running the saw mill but will answer any question you may have. The Saw Mill runs like a top but a very dangerous toy it is. These men make it seem easy but it is anything but with the noise, the steam, the belts and machinery. It’s an amazing weekend that is run by volunteers. Watch some you tube of Rollag or WMSTR,
Western Minnesota Steam Threshers Reunion.
Held every Labor, Rain or Shine in Rollag, MN.
The show has everything from Draft Horses to Steams Engines and all makes and models of Diesel and Gas tractors. They even have a 3 mile full size “Railroad to No Where” that encircles the show grounds and runs on steam. I got to sit up front and shovel coal, under supervision of course. Once you go you may or may ot go back but you will never forget it.
I went there one year when I lived in De Smet, South Dakota! It was great, I walked around with a great big smile and amazement what the kind of restoration and love, sweat and tears went into those machines! I really enjoyed the draft horse pulls and tractor sled pulls, a lot of torque and power in those steam tractors. I could have stayed a week if it had been open that long… You couldn’t see and gaze at every single piece of machinery there in one day or it’s four day run.
The old sled mills are a wonder to behold. They are slower than the modern, automated mills but they can eat an almost unlimited size of log. The steam power just makes it better, somehow…
I live here in Lake country MN. My grandfather had a Minneapolis Moline Thresher and I would go there Labor Day weekend and help each year. Rollag and another annual show in Dalton Mn which is smaller. Rollag has over 700 acres of exhibits and you can spend days wondering around. There are over 1800 lakes between Otter Tail county and Becker county so lots to do in lake country.
The Sounds of Steam:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_wdRkxT7GI
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillips_Brothers_Mill
That has to be the recruitment video for “1000 Ways to Die.” Seriously, matriculated from The U with a BSME. Used to go up North and poke around the woods. Got to see some interesting things, man hole covers in the Ojibwe National Forest, stand on both banks of the Mississippi, explore locomotive repair sheds with the outline of an engine traced into the roof. Super cool stuff. Still have my Thermo books with the pull out Steam Tables.
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