My summer "vacation"

I was kindly (and rightly so) informed that blogs with pictures are much more interesting. So I will use three pictures to briefly describe my summer "vacation".
Shown here is a 48 foot 50 ton tractor-trailer dumper manufactured by Peerless. When I say "manufactured" I mean they built the main unit as a "Kit' and then we welded it together and mounted it on the base frame that we built on site. The entire project started January 2005, when the layout for the concrete walls and piers began. I believe the total concrete used was in the 450 cubic yard range. This also included a moderate pad below for the material to be stored on. By the time I arrived on the scene, in mid summer (during summer break), the concrete and majority of the frame was finished and the bed itself had just been set in place. We aligned the bed, and finished attaching all the accessories. These included the trailer retainer (the bars near the back that go around and over the top of the trailer), the rails, walkways, hydraulic cylinders, hydraulic pump and reservoir unit, stops, shims and other braces which needed to be installed. In addition to the "kit", we needed to create an operators platform (picture #1 where we are standing) and stairs to link the operators platform to the lower level (where the pump unit is housed). All this needed to be designed, created and welded together. Unfortunately the foreman I was working under needed to take off for a few weeks because of problems with his hand, which left me to do most of the work. This was great, except my welding skills are elementary at best. Thus I spent much of my time welding things temporarily until they could be finished later. Finally on my last day we were able to perform a test run (shown in picture #2) to its full 60 degree angle. To get an idea of the how high this thing is, the top of the brown frame in picture 2 is 15-20 feet off the ground and the trailer itself is 53' long.
When I left there were still a few minor details to finish up.
Last time I was home it was finished and in working order, flawlessly unloading tractor-trailers (hauling waste wood to be recycled) with ease and style.
There is nothing like a rewarding summer vacation.