Abandoned Sawmill | Demeritt Forest, Old Town

UPDATED 08/26/14 -- Machinery information added.

Unknown to many, most of Marsh Island is connected by a system of trails maintained by the University of Maine. Many of these areas are multi-use, and one such is the Demeritt Forest on College Ave extension which provides a very picturesque environment in which to recreate while simultaneously providing a giant hands-on laboratory for some of the university students.

According to the school , this forest was acquired by lease in the 1930s, by deed in the 1950s and then given its current name in the early 1970s. According to informational material from the university -- this area has been used by the forestry program since 1939.

Apparently, someone's school project has been left behind for 50+ years:

 

Just off the beaten path, less than a quarter mile from where the Sewall Rd connects with College Ave you'll find the remains of what appears to have been a machine designed to use pulleys and cables to move logs. This "machine" is in several pieces which appear to include but may not necessarily be limited to:

• An engine mount and wheel. A large empty steel frame containing a large wheel which would have acted as a pulley and which has/had an articulated axle attached. 
• An electronic control box and sled (above, foreground). This control box was dated 1957, and looks like it may have had additional machinery underneath.
• A timber sled that looks like it had mechanical components at one time.
• Unknown sled component (below, identifiable by eye hook.) 

The fine folks over at /r/WhatIsThisThing have told me that this is small logging equipment often used for small, independent contractors. I get the feeling that this is in no way the remains of anything top of the line....These are my best guesses as to the function of these components. I know next to nothing about this industry, please feel free to set me straight in the comments.

A word regarding College Ave extension: unless you have a really rugged vehicle, air suspension, or in case you don't have to pay for maintenance on your own vehicle, you might want to avoid the Sewall to Stillwater stretch unless you like breaking things and being shaken around in a manner not dissimilar to a box full of puppies.

If you're sensitive about your weight avoid this road as well, you will  jiggle.