Teleforest produces an innovative standing skyline system for logging any terrain.Most cable yarding systems are complex and require a considerable length of time to setup and relocate. The Telecarrier system has simplified this aspect to increase the proportion of productive time. The skyline is suspended between two excavators. These excavators do not require anchoring, which reduces the setup times considerably, and less manpower is required. A self propelled trolley (carriage), powered by a 50 kW (71 hp) Deutz engine, travels on the skyline. The trolley is remotely operated.
Each excavator has a tower mounted at the end of its boom. The boom rests the tower on the ground at an angle of 18 degrees from the vertical towards the excavator, which creates stability. The cables run from the rear of the excavator, through the top of the tower, and then to the other excavator (skyline) or through the carriage (mainline).
The system can extract timber uphill, downhill, on flat areas, and across ravines. It can be used in clearfell or thinning operations. The table below shows the different excavator sizes and how this influences its application. The website provides good images, as well as movies to demonstrate what the system looks like, its components and how it operates. More technical information can also be obtained for the carriage, the towers and the skyline drum.
| Excavator size | 20 tonne | 30 tonne | 40 tonne |
| Skyline length | 300 m (980 ft) | 400 m (1,300 ft) | 500 m (1,640 ft) |
| Tower height | 9 m (29.5 ft) | 12 m (39.4 ft) | 15 m (49.2 ft) |
| Pulling strength and lifting capacity | 2,700 kg (6,000 lb) | 2,700 kg (6,000 lb) | 2,700 kg (6,000 lb) |
| Carriage weight | 1,320 kg (2,904 lb) | 1,320 kg (2,904 lb) | 1,320 kg (2,904 lb) |
Source: Chris Carlaw (Forme Consulting) and www.teleforest.com