Making and gathering the pieces

Building something like a geared logging locomotive is a whole lot of fun. I will design and fabricate most of the pieces for the train like the wheels, running gear components and a whole lot more. Today the wheel truck sides for the locomotive were machined from Precision Board high density urethane as were the wheels. Tomorrow I cut the rest of the components that will be attached to them to detail them out.

I couldn't resist mocking up the first components to see how everything fit together.

Today was also time to go shopping for the steel I'll need for the locomotive. Along with the steel tubing, sheet stock and angle iron I need some serious sized pipes for the boiler, steam domes and smokestack. I didn't want to buy new forty foot lengths so I visited some local steel fabricators to go through their scrap bins for the pipe. Luck was on my side and I found the short lengths of pipes I needed in short order.

It won't be long until this thing looks a whole lot more like a train engine. This is way more fun than actually working! Stay tuned...

-grampa dan

My welcome home

Sometimes we need to leave home for a while to really appreciate the things we are familiar with. I love to travel, and love to see the sights  wherever I go. But as much as I love to visit other places  I also love to return back to the familiar.

As I drove home from the airport yesterday and as I looked out the window of my office I was reminded of the beautiful place we get to live in. Our home and workplace are ringed by spectacular mountains. This time of year they sparkle with a coat of snow. Each afternoon as I look east from my studio windows the mountains glow with the setting sun. I couldn't resist snapping this picture of Mount Cheam yesterday just as the sun went down. Today's sunset was just as spectacular.

I felt wonderfully comfortable and very much at home in an instant.

-grampa dan

Last day in New York - repeat

This afternoon our plane left right on time but as we gained altitude we suddenly leveled off and an announcement came on that we would be returning to New York airport rather than heading to Chicago as planned. We circled New York for about an hour to burn off fuel before we landed with a full emergency escort (without incident). As soon as we de-planed the scramble to rebook our flights began. It turned out that I would be staying one more night in the New York area before heading home tomorrow morning. No worries. That is one of the joys of travel.

The good news is that tomorow's flight is nonstop to Vancouver. I'm looking forward to going home!

-grampa dan