This is an 8x8 logging forwarder that Dennis Raper "imagineered". It would be used to "forward" tree-length timber to the landing to be loaded onto a road truck. It's intended to work in wet or otherwise inaccessible areas where maximum payloads are necessary. It could also serve as a pipe handler in a pipeline application. There is no actual prototype of this machine but Rolligon makes an off-road vehicle that has been modified for something similar to this in the past.
Dennis started off with a Matchbox "Real Working Rigs" Tucker Sno-Cat. He removed most of the cab and part of the engine compartment with a Dremel and patched it back together with styrene sheet. Dennis replaced the tracked undercarriages with tires from some old Micro-Machines monster trucks. The rear section is from the rear frame of an old Resin Unlimited model and the boom is from a Norscot 315C Caterpillar excavator. The machine pivots in the middle and has an oscillating frame as well as working a boom and grapple. The machine is 38 scale feet long and is 12 feet wide from outside the tires. The 45' pole trailer is scratchbuilt from styrene and aluminum tubing and has a working center-point suspension. Dennis also used some Morton Pattern brass sheet from Plano on the walk-around bumper deck and on the engine compartment.
Posted March 3, 2012 |
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