[AT] "First" diesel crawler w/ Blade

D8RMAN at aol.com D8RMAN at aol.com
Wed Mar 16 18:53:05 PST 2005


Dave Merchant is correct that the Caterpillat 60, 1C series was the first 
diesel powered bulldozer. Caterpillar didnot manufacture bulldozer blades at that 
time but owners would make their own or buy one from a couple of companies 
that made bulldozer blade assemblies. The Caterpillar Sixty Diesel was the 
basically the same crawler tractor as the gas Sixty except the radiator is about 
twice as thick on the diesel as the gas model. The model designation was SIXTY 
on the first few tractors radiators and then it was changed to SIXTY FIVE to 
more accuratly reflect the correct horsepower rating. Most people refer to these 
trators as the Caterpillar Sixty Diesel but the Caterpillar manual calls it 
the Caterpillar Sixty Five Diesel. There were 157 Caterpillar 1C series diesel 
tractors made from 1931 to 1933.  The first Caterpillar Sixty Diesel (1C1) can 
be seen at UC at Davis Antique Mechanics Club and the second Caterpillar 
Sixty Diesel (1C2) can be seen at The Heidrick Ag Museum at Woodland, CA. I donot 
recall seeing a bulldozer blade on either one of these two machines but I know 
that 1C1 spent the first few years working for a lumber company in CA. I am 
working out of town and won't get home until the weekend to see if I can find a 
picture of one of the early diesel Sixty's with a blade on it in one of my 
books. I hope this information helps some. Someone also mentioned the book 
"ENDLESS TRACKS IN THE WOODS" which I consider a very good book with a lot of good 
crawler tractor information.
The "Diesel" would be a Diesel 60, 1C series.
This grew into the Diesel 65 etc.

There were 2 at Brownsville several years ago...
http://www.nesys.org/HCEA/BV99/BV99.html
...way down the page, I really should turn it into a thumbnail page.

My understanding is that only one of these is original, the other is a 
repowered gas 60..

Since blades were aftermarket at the time, it's anyone's guess when
someone first hung one on a diesel Cat.

The same page shows a repowered 60 "Felix" with a cable blade.

Parallel was the Diesel 40 -> 45 -> RD6 progression,  3 cylinder.

There is an RD-6 in this shot from the 2004 HCEA National in Saegertown.
http://www.nesys.org/HCEA/PONY/PONY2004/DSM06152.html
(L-R: Gas Sixty, RD-6, Gas Thirty,  D2)

Dave Merchant



At 02:07 PM 3/16/2005, Larry D. Goss wrote:
>Another source is "Ultimate American Farm Tractor Data Book: Nebraska
>test Tractors 1920-1960 by Lorry Dunning.  ISBN 0-7603-0477-7.  This
>book has a chapter called "Power Test Timeline" that lists all the
>firsts in the series.  I get the impression from reading Dunning that
>the "Diesel" and the Cat. 65 tractors are one and the same.  But what do
>I know?  The Cat. 65 is listed as test #208.
>
>Larry
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com
>[mailto:at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com] On Behalf Of charlie hill
>Sent: Wednesday, March 16, 2005 12:10 PM
>To: Antique tractor email discussion group
>Subject: Re: [AT] "First" diesel crawler w/ Blade
>
>Looking through the Nebraska Tractor Test book,  the first Diesel
>Crawler
>they tested was Test No. 208 in July 1932.  It was a Caterpillar
>"Diesel"
>(apparently Diesel was the model name). The next one they tested was in
>July
>1932 and it was a Cat model 65.
>
>It that wasn't the first diesel crawler it was most likely the first
>reliable diesel crawler.  Nebraska tested it's first crawler in 1920 so
>if
>there had been any out before the Caterpillar they most likely would
>have
>tested it.
>
>According to Norm Swinfords AC construction equipment book,
>Monarch tested an Atlas Diesel in a model 75 in 1927 and it was tested
>in
>Montana as late as 1930 but never put into production.
>
>Reference for the librarian:
>   Nebraska Tractor Tests Since 1920 by C.H. Wendel.
>
>Allis Chalmers Construction Machinery & Industrial Equipment
>Norm Swinford,  Crestline Publishers,  ISBN 0-7603-0485-8
>
>Charlie Hill
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "JParks" <jkparks at flash.net>
>To: "Antique tractor email discussion group"
><at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
>Sent: Wednesday, March 16, 2005 11:08 AM
>Subject: [AT] "First" diesel crawler w/ Blade
>
>
> > Below is a copy/paste of a question I rec'd from a librarian in hopes
>of
> > helping an inquiring patron.  (very helpful library!)  The question
> > involves
> > not just the "first" diesel powered crawler tractor, but the qualifier
>
> > that
> > it be a "dozer", so the blade attachment comes into question too.  All
>I
> > have is a WAG with a +/- of several years margin of area.  Can ya'll
> > supply
> > a more definitive and authoritative answer.  I will pass along all
>your
> > replies to the librarian.
> > Thanks
> > John Parks
> > Boise, ID
> > My name is Tonia Totten and I work at the Bristol Public Library and
>I'm
> > writing to you on behalf of a library patron who has a question that
> > hopefully you will be able to answer. The patron wants to know when
>the
> > first diesel powered bulldozers were made
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > AT mailing list
> > http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at
> >
>
>
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Dave Merchant
kosh at nesys.com
nesys_com at ameritech.net

http://www.nesys.com
http://www.nesys.org



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