CAT D8 logging dozer

This CAT D8 logging dozer was 100% inspired by Walt. It has the same specs as the standard D8 and is from the early 1970’s before voluntary ROPS requirements. This machine comes with an aftermarket full sweeps ROPS (not supplied by CAT), an integral arch and winch and a heavy duty brush blade. Although log skidders with integral arches where available during this time, the bulldozer was a much more versatile machine that could be used to clear brush and build roads besides just hauling cut trees out of the woods and stacking logs in piles. Perfect for smaller operations and is still used today. But the skidder with a boom and grapple is the machine of choice to haul unprocessed felled trees out of the woods for most logging operations today.

It’s now available at my Shapeways store at www.shapeways.com/shops/Micro%20American%20Rail%20Prototypes

I had bought four of these also and they are really nice in "Z" the detail is great and paint up nicely! They look good as items on a flat car, for load, and clearing areas for new structures on your layout! Well done again Jon!!! nice job and thanks! the Photo's look great!

Thanks for the kind words Walt. Never would have thought to have made this version if you had not asked me to. So thank you for that to.

I agree with Walt, this is a very fine piece of equipment. Very well done and I'll bet a real challenge to put together.....but then, Z scalers are all about meeting challenges with a big grin and determination.

Thank you for your kind words Loren. I appreciate that very much. I could have made this model all one piece, ready to go. But I broke it up for finishing and painting purposes. So its easier to get a good paint job but a bit more of a challenge for final assembly. But honestly the hardest part is not dropping any of the small parts and loosing them forever on your carpet floor. That's a problem I have yet to figure out how to fix...

I wanted to ask you if you had any other pieces of equipment percolating around in your thinking cap? I and others could certainly supply you with many project ideas. There is a lot of Z that needs to be built for this hobby and your workmanship certainly would be an asset to those wanting quality. Yes, one piece would have been much easier, but then the challenge would go out the window.

An example of what might be a good direction to go in would be logging equipment, such as trucks and other forestry related pieces. I think more would try the timber related scenes if we had logging trucks and support equipment to go with them. Contact me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and I'll send you pictures of what I need in Z for a scene I have been wanting to model.
Loren

OBTW, let's see a great example of a dirtied up, well worn dozer.

Stony, I'll buy one for you and paint it up in exchange for your off shore bank account routing number and your checking account number. Let's see, I think I have all the bases covered. Oh, I forgot one...how to get out of town without your henchmen recognizing me.

I do hope Walt will consider making other pieces in Z also. We could use them in many applications I'm sure.

Loren, older equipment like these CATs from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s are pretty much what I grew up with in the 1970’s and 1980’s. They are also a big part of why I deign construction equipment and farm equipment for a living. They are also still a huge influence on my work today. And even though heavy equipment today is superior to anything built back then, I still really love this older stuff. So I’ll be coming up with a bunch of equipment in the future.

On the list right now is a late 70’s early 80’s CAT excavator probably in the 215 series size along with a version with a cutter head for tree felling (for Walt), a 1970’s era Autocar Dk64 Construcktor truck (my all time favorite truck as a kid and now) for logging trailer set up, low boy trailer, dump trailer and dump truck. And lastly probably the only piece of European equipment I will ever make for model railroading is the beautiful Ardelt 90 ton steam railroad crane which was first built in 1937 (from what I can find, only 4 where ever built and the last one was scrapped in 1978 but I could be wrong on all of that).

But before I can check off any new models on this list, I have to finish my Ohio locomotive crane and my Industrial Brownhoist 250 ton wreck crane. I had a few prototypes built for both and the kits were ready to go but thanks to Shapeways ever changing rules and sloppy model checking, the final kits both failed final model check with Shapeways before printing even though none of the CAD geometry changed… But I have found a superior rapid prototype supplier using the same FUD process that is more expensive but worth every penny. Unfortunately I’ll have to sell them as a completed models and not as kits.

So yes I am open to suggestions and I will definitely send you an email. But it might be a little while until I get to anything new as I still have a pretty big list to check off.

-Jon

How bout this for Walt

Now that takes the Cake and the ice cream! It looks like a snow runner!

Is this Z scale Fred? Nice model regardless of the scale. I've seen a video of one of these restored and in action. They were the first crawler tractors. Not very maneuverable but a hell of a lot more powerful then a team of horses. It was very strange to watch in the video a locomotive come out of the woods at about 5 mph with no tracks....

Not sure what scale it is. They also used something like this to get maple syrup in New England woods with a wagon and barrels.
This would be good as a static Antique model near Walt's modern logging camp.

Jon,
This is good news for Z and don't fret about the model being complete and not a kit. Z scalers just need more of about everything so RTR is fine for almost everyone. We're just thankful more guys like you are picking up the banner and willing to run with it.

Thank you,

Loren

Here you go Fred found the real thing! That would be bad job to drive Cold

Jon, PLEASE post this over on Trainboard ! A whole notha market for you !!!

Jeff

Thanks Jeff. I just joined. Interface is a little more congested to navigate then over here. But I have it figured out now and just introduced myself as a new member. I'll try to get some of this Shapeways stuff posted tomorrow.

-Jon

Walt, Thanks for posting this. I love this kind of stuff. Considering this could probably not skid steer (Unless you could control the pistons independently from each other) and had no slip differential (not invented until 1935) this thing must have been all but a nightmare to control when making turns. But you could never get enough draft horses together at once to pull all those cut logs in one long train. Very crude by today's standards but a space shuttle of its time. These were the forerunners for today's tracked machines from the tank to the bulldozer.

I have a few pictures which I left your name with shapeways! on my trainboard Photo's 3D printed project. of the cat 955 and the D-8 but only "Z" scale didn't say any thing about any other scale