The northern Wisconsin town of Wabeno sits near the center of Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. The logging museum is in downtown, and next to it is a large contraption in a pavilion surrounded by fencing to protect it. The massive machine looks like a cross between a locomotive, snowmobile and a bulldozer. It looks lie something Dr. Suess would come up with in one of his childrens books.
It was built in 1904 by The Phoenix Manufacturing Company of Eau Claire, Wisconsin to haul logs out of the forest. It is based on a small steam locomotive, but instead of wheels, it has caterpillar tracks. It required three men to operate: a fireman, engineer and a steersman who sat at the front and guided the skis. It could pull seven sleds loaded with logs. Only a few machines remain in the United States, and one of them is on display in Wabeno.
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