As with the Shay geared locomotive, the log car requires LOTS of steel fabrication. Today we welded up the sub structure, similar to the locomotive. The heavy angle iron along the bottom will be bolted to the top of the trestle to keep the train up there - no matter what!

Once everything was secure and in it's place we could better visualize how it will look when it is done. And it passed muster - no problem. Before we continued with the log car I needed to determine the final height of the locomotive cab. Welding some arched steel tubing to the top of the uprights determined our measurements in a hurry.

Then it was back to the log car once more using the train height as a reference point. The log will be framed out with structural steel, getting lighter as we work our way to the surface. Hard to see in the pictures is the pencil rod final framework that we will attach lath to for our sculpted fiberglass-reinforced-concrete that will form the ends and bark of the giant log. The face of the log with the sign on it will be routed Precision Board. There is at least another day of welding on the log car strucutre alone.

I'm having fun - as always, while we build this our sixth logomotive.

-grampa dan