Collecting the big CATs
by Jeffrey Allen Federowicz
THE QUIET HAMLET OF CASCADE is home to an unusual collection - Caterpillar construction equipment. Because of their name as well as their trademark dark yellow and black color scheme, the equipment is commonly referred to as CATs. This particular collection, which has grown to include more than 125 pieces, is owned by Lycoming County businessman George Logue, Sr. During winter, the majority of the machines are under cover but when the weather breaks, they can be found neatly arranged in a nearby field.
Logue is ready to bring his CATs out. "I just got a new one," he said recently, "a brand new Caterpillar loader that weighs 11 tons." "Ever since I was young, I always wanted to own one of these machines," said Logue, 83. "What makes my collection different than others is that I have sets of things. If a piece of equipment had two pieces to it, a lot of times a person might have only one part, not both."
During the day, he can be found at Logue Industries of Montoursville, a custom fabrication and machining facility which provides factories with quality, custommade parts using the latest in technology. This same technology also helps Logue with his collection. In order to restore most of the CAT equipment Logue has collected, numerous parts have been needed. However, many of the parts are no longer available due to the age of the equipment.
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