Barry Norenberg turned an old manure system - complete with its track - into a wood carrying transport that brings wood from a shed to his outdoor furnace.

"A neighbor was going to scrap out the carrier and the track, but he let me have it," says Norenberg. "He said he would love to see it put to use."

Norenberg installed the system just in time for the 2014 winter. The cold temperatures nearly doubled the amount of wood burned from 7 cords to 12. Complete with a chain hoist to raise and lower it for easy loading, the carrier worked great, says Norenberg.

"One load is equal to about 2 1/2 large wheelbarrows, but I'm not slipping on ice and fighting the snow," he says. "I just load it up and push it to the door of the furnace."

To mount the track, he extended the eave on his 32-ft. long woodshed and mounted the rail beneath it. The corner of the shed is about 20 ft. from the furnace. Norenberg wanted to bridge the distance with rail, but at the same time be able to move it out of the way to make room for his tractors or truck.

"The rail has a short section of linked pieces that allow the carrier to swing right or left for dumping," explains Norenberg. "It was originally mounted at the barn door. I mounted it at the corner of the shed so the 20-ft. length of track can be swung out of the way as needed."

To suspend the track, he mounted it to a 20-ft. long, 2 by 4-in. channel iron beam. The beam is hinged to a 12-ft. long, 6 by 6-in. post buried 4 ft. in the ground at the corner of the shed. Three wire suspension cables run from the top of the post (8 ft.) out to the beam for more support. A fourth cable runs from the top of the beam to the rear corner of the shed for opposing support. The linked track at the pivot point allows the suspended track section to swing with the beam.

"I ran the track along the entire front of the wood shed," explains Norenberg. "I can load up the carrier, lift it up to waist height with the chain hoist, and push it to the door of the furnace. It's at just the right height to fill the firebox."

Norenberg says it has been especially helpful for his wife to use when he is unable to make it home and the furnace needs filling. Having injured her back in a bad car accident, filling and pushing wheelbarrows of wood is out of the question.

"I can fill the carrier before I leave and push it into place," says Norenberg. "My wife can toss the wood into the furnace without even bending over."

Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Barry Norenberg, 20591 Pickle Lake Rd., Grantsburg, Wis. 54840 (ph 763 614-4769; Barry.Norenberg@bosch.com).