The countdown is still ticking and ticking...

Status 2/10/2004: The transport cage for both tunnel elements are progressing. The old one had to be torn down due to the backyard enlargement. On top of the new cage the control elements shall find a place.

Status 2/14/2004:

A new home for the tunnel elements! On top you see a first transformer - the surface shall be used as control table. The woodwork is mainly finished now - next will be steel work: The blue jacks need some welding to act as the feet of the layout.

22/2/2004: Further heavy craftsmen's work were done for Lonesome Dove: Made from ordinary jacks from the craftmen's store...

with plastic ended feet new high jacked jacks for the layout are build.  By welding in special nuts originally intended to hammer in wood (it is recycling - the previous feet were equipped with these...) and lock bolts the feet were modified.

Here you see the high heels of the jack. On top of the jack two pieces of round steel are welded on, they shall fit into holes in the layout to fix position of jack and layout section.

The first new jack is ready! On the next pic the others are finished on welding, only the lock bolts are missing.

28.2.2004: The jacks are still to large for Lonesome Dove, so the "arms" were cut away. Looks a bit strange...

The threaded inserts were re-cut to remove any welding residues. A last time (?) the jacks are used for cutting the steel for the future light stands.

Status 3/7/2004: The welded parts were cleaned and in a next step painted. Thanks to Jorrit and Malte the job was done in nearly no time!

Here they are in their new colour.

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