I was pondering my gyppo yarder, if I reconfigure it and switch my haulback to 3/8 I can get 500+ feet on it. I would still have to have the main line shackled in but I can probably man handle 4-500' of 1/2" around its only 200#s could maybe use the haulback as a crappy strawline, and get some real range out of it.
I was originally worried about snapping lines and whatnot, but really it just needs to be faster and have a better reach. 3/8 has a breaking strength of 12000#s and the winches are only rated to 8k. Anyway still need a better motor and something resembling a real clutch.
Or there KY... the big winch on mine is just the larger deuce and a half winch (half track?) its drum is 12" wide and 12" in diameter, with a 6" barrel, I figure a guy could easily rig one on to the back of a skidder with a hydraulic motor to turn it and be in business, the whole thing is maybe 20" long and a little over 14" wide.
Damn it now you guy's got me engineering again... few 100 feet of 2" 1/4 wall tubing, some welding, couple of burly come-a-longs for guy lines, derelict car trailer, 2-3 cylnder diesel out of a boat with the sail drive thingy... some corrugated roofing... couple cans of cat yeller... hot damn it would look almost like the real thing...