Timber/Logging Railway Modelling

Hillcrest Lumber

Hillcrest Lumber, Mesachie Lake BC

I visited Mesachie Lake several times over the years, both before and after the mill closed. My mid-1960s visits included one of the last railfan trips behind steam over the line. Most of my operational photos came from that time, others came from ex-employees, many of whom maintained a close relationship after mill closure.

Mesashie Lake History (pdf).

Hillcrest Lumber Co, Mesashie Lake Mill and town plan, and A3 printable version (pdf, from Karl Zawadzki via John Taubeneck).

1965 Locomotive list (pdf).

Video (YouTube)

8mm film of Hillcrest Logging climax locomotives #9 and #10 operating between Mesachie Lake and Lake Cowichan on Vancouver Island: 1 (4:34) and 2 (4:36).

Hillcrest Climax Steam Locomotive No 10 in 1968 (2:33, slide show).

Rayonier #2 Willamette geared locomotive (Shay clone), Hillcrest #10 Climax and Hammond Lumber #17 2-8-2T operating on the Mt Rainer Scenic Railroad, Mineral WA (5:43)

Hillcrest Lumber

Photos

Mill/log pond overview

Locomotives in service: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 -
Hillcrest #9 is now on static display at the BC Forest Discovery Centre. Hillcrest #10 now operates at the Mt Rainier Scenic Railway.

Locomotives after closure: 1 - 2 - 3 -

Self-propelled steam cranes: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 -
John Taubeneck, 2016: "A former Hillcrest employee told me that the two smaller cranes were used at the mill. The two larger cranes were used at the Osborn Bay Wharf Co. which Hillcrest owned. when the wharf operation closed around 1964 the cranes were stored at the mill."

Search results: "Hillcrest" from the Rail Heritage Image Library (51 images from 1964 and 1965, retrieved 20/4/2020).