BC Tel- Zymoetz Tramway-Garage

This is a picture from the south end of the Zymoetz Tramway.
In this view you can see the fuel hose, suspended by clips from the messenger.
Top of picture is the tramway cable
On the far side, you can see the bridge abutment, all that is left after the original bridge was washed out.
I believe when the bridge washed out, all plans to develop the Copper mine, about half way up the mountain, failed.
Imagine there still is a copper deposit there.
I actually still have rocks in my garden, with the telltale green color, from Zymoetz.
My little keepsake of the hill!
On the other side up around the corner, was a yellow BC Tel style garage.
We kept a panel truck in there in the summer, and a snowcat in the winter.

Zymoetz Tramway
parked on the North side of the Copper river
Run by a 10hp Briggs and Stratton, and hydraulic motor, this was the only way across the Copper River to get to Zymoetz radio site, after the bridge washed out in the mid 60's.
Would require 2 trips across depending on test gear required that month.
Every month routines had to be done on Diesels and Radio system.
This tramway was washed out in the 1978 flood, and replaced, then washed out again in the early 80’s, not to be replaced.

Tramway Parked at South Side
motor can be seen covered in a canvas tarp
Due to vandalism, the motor had to be removed after each trip.
The hydraulic's had quick connect fittings to enable a quick install.
The old chev panel truck can be seen parked on the other side.
We had a garage to park it and the snowcat on the other side, just up around the bend on the access road that is visible
Only thing we had trouble with on the north side was the porcupines eating the heater hoses off.
They love the salt in the rubber it seems.

This is a view of the Tramway Operating
Snowcat and Truck can be seen parked on other side

Aerial Picture of the Tramway Area -Apr 1972
Lots of Moose tracks visible in foreground

Tramway Side view, from Water's edge

View from across the Copper River, looking back to town side

View of the Tramway Carriage, showing removable motor assembly

Tramway was washed out in 1978 flood. photos courtesy Brian Wolfe Collection

Zymoetz Garage

Company John Deere Dozer hauling Spryte Snowcat across river, ready for winter

Somebody wimped out here, because we usually drove the snowcats back and forth across the river in the fall and summmer, not behind the cat. Proof below!

View from front window of the Tucker Snow-Cat crossing the Copper River at the tramway location
After Summer overhaul, Carl Lofroth and myself were moving the Tucker back to the Zymoetz side of the river for winter. Due to the ice on the edge of the river we couldn’t find a place to get out of the river, so we went up and down, searching for an opening in the bank. This picture was taken dead center of the river.
While we were crossing the river in the Tucker Sno-Cat, the relieving Supervisor at the time, Dennis Hull, had told us upon leaving Terrace, that he wanted a radio call, the minute we entered the river , and we were to keep the line open while we crossed, in case of an emergency. Well we did mostly what he told us, except we played a wee trick on him. We called him like he said, but after we were just about half way across, I started to yell and scream into the mike and telling him we were being washed downstream in high water, well you could have heard a pin drop on the other end of the call! Not sure if Dennis ever forgave us for that one!

I have the actual site log for the site, which contains many of the printable stories.
Some others are best left unprintable, right Brian??

One story that keeps cropping up, is my “sinking” of a Tucker Sno-cat, in the lake up behind the radio site. Actually it all started very innocently a week earlier. My 2nd level, Dave Robinson came to the site on an inspection / visit, and wanted a tour of the area, so away we went over the lake and up into the hills. The next week my friend from Saskatchewan showed up, so I did the same for him, only in 1 week the ice had melted under the snow, and unknown to me was very thin. Needless to say the machine broke thru the ice, about 15’ from the edge, and there it stayed, sunk about 3’ in the slush. We all then had to walk about 5 miles down the hill to the truck. Next week we pulled the machine out with a huge come-along borrowed from BC Hydro. No more tours after that for me! But unlike the Terrace Toll guys, I didn't roll the machine!!

Tucker in Lake above Microwave Site- Spring 1974

We tied the come-along to a tree on the right side in the picture above

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