#8 Rebuild, 1926

During its tenure, the GNP Millinocket mill had quite a few different paper machines. Sometimes, after years of use and the changing needs of the paper industry, a paper machine would be replaced. This began mid 1920’s (McCann reference) when the Canadian paper industry was producing more paper than the United States. Great Northern reduced its per ton paper price and decided to start replacing its almost 30-year-old paper machines.  

            The May 1926 issue of The Northern magazine describes this event. “#8 started up 11/10/1901, the first of the company machines to produce paper at this mill. The machine has been in continual service since, producing over 300 thousand tons of newsprint. On a Sunday at 8:00 A.M., 1926, the machine was shut down and the work of dismantling began. This work was carried out by two crews with each crew working ten hours a day. At the end of the wet end including screens, Fourdrinier parts, and three presses were removed, also the calendar stack, reel and winder.”

            The articles continues, “The second day the removal of the 36 dryers was begun. By 7:00 PM Tuesday the last dryer and stand were down. The remainder of the third day was spent in removing shafting, bearing stands and staging, The actual dismantling of the machine itself however had been completed in two and one-half days. For the readers who are not familiar with a paper machine, the weights of some of the parts of this machine are given: presses five tons, dryers four tons, calendar rolls from three to twelve tons.”

“As this machine has been sold to be erected again as a paper machine, care had to be taken in dismantling so that none of the parts would be damaged. This adds all the more to the record time made.”

“The removal of the engine driving this machine was done by the Foundation Company in the charge of Charles Eklund. This crew also cut away much of the concrete floor under the paper machine.”

“By Friday noon May 7, the last of the machine had been loaded into the cars and securely blocked ready for its journey to its new owners. Twenty-seven cars were required to hold all of the various parts, a small load in itself. Mr. James Luke was in charge of loading the machine into the cars.”

This machine would be replaced by a new one also named #8. “The erection of the new #8 is proceeding rapidly. It is expected that paper will be made on it by the middle of June. This is two weeks earlier than expected due to the excellent work of the crew and efficient organization behind it.”