Here are previous installments in this series.

The short version of this installment is that Lois Mcclure did not move on the 18th as expected. All the technical teams were assembled and performed admirably in spite of the cold. Plans approved, honorees present, permits granted, precautions taken, authorities notified, contingencies accepted, etc. . . . but a trailer air brake line glitch persisted, and without 100% reliable braking ability, a safe move was out. No new date has been set.

But this post is the long version, a day and a half of photos at the site. The first dozen photos here were all taken by Ted Olsen on Wednesday the 17th, beginning at 10 am. He stayed on site until 8 pm , taking countless photos and short videos. Since I had just received this card from Santa himself, I decided to both tell the story of the 18th in a way that is accurate but also injects some levity–pun intended–into the events.

CSNY members removed the weather cover and attached a banner to the stern of the 50-ton, 88- by 15-foot 1862-class sailing canal boat.

Before 11, Craig Williams and Art Cohn watched the first piece of heavy equipment, a crane arrive.

It needed to be set up.

More oversized equipment appeared next,

like this modular, heavy-duty trailer designed for transporting oversized and heavy cargo. This one has 12 axles and lots of “lines”.

The middle module needed to be inserted, and all the electrical, hydraulic, and airbrake lines hooked up.

By 430 pm, the trailer was assembled.

A few days before the winter solstice, central NYS can be quite dark by 6 pm, as the trailer was being maneuvered underneath the McClure.

By 8 pm, crews built trailer-borne cradles under the canal boat, and the heavy-lift trailer raised the weight off the metal ground-support cradles that had held her for over a year. Note the columnar support to the left of the “80” marker on the trailer.

The next few photos are mine, Will Van Dorp. I’d driven up on the 17th. Ted was there also, but he was also operating a shuttle for invitees to the Heritage Park, the destination.

By 7 am, the NY State Police and DOT had arrived to perform all the weight and safety checks.

Note the scales underneath the front tires of the tractor below? At this point, I noticed the flag escort truck leave this dock. I interpreted this to mean the move was imminent, and I decided to leave before the convoy so that I could get a photo from a high point that I’d chosen ahead of time. But my expectation was wrong. Ted, Craig, Art, and other CSNY board members stayed at the site. Some even returned today.

I mentioned Santa, since he presented himself as a centuries-old logistics and delivery expert, if his record is to be believed. Will he solve this? Or . . .

will Craig demonstrate wizardry of his own and plug into the enhancements of his Corolla to move Lois McClure out of sheer willpower?

Stay tuned. More of Ted’s photos from Thursday and Friday to come.