Greetings Cat People!

I'm hoping someone here can help me when Caterpillar itself can't. I'm a freelance writer and among my many jobs is a column in "Diesel World" Magazine called Tractor Talk. In it, I talk about diesel powered ag tractors, past and present. Of any group, y'all should know that the '31 Cat 60 diesel was the first diesel powered ag tractor and I'd like to do a column on that. My problem is photos. I know there are some great ones around the country but for a two page column, there isn't the budget to travel far for pics. I'm hoping someone in this group can either tell me about a '31 or '32 Cat 60 diesel in or very near northwest Ohio that I could photograph, or perhaps there is an owner in this group that might have photos of his restored unit that he would allow me to use. Cat would give me vintage pics but they don't have any available. I think the first first diesel tractor should have more exposure to the general public. Also, I have some information and the Nebraska test but if someone in the group could recommend a book that covers this topic well, I'd be grateful for the heds up. Please contact me off list if you need more direct contact. Thanks!

Jim----

You might also want to inquire over on the ACME board:

www.antiquecaterpillar.net should get you there

Good luck

Delta Dirt

Jim-

Sorry I can't help you with the 60, but I read your columns in several mags and really enjoy your work, especially that you have somehow talked cutting-edge mags into publishing stories about very old stuff.

Sounds like a great project. The Cat in The ACMOC logo is a 60 Diesel. I think Jim Zimmerman is working on one for George Howard. It would be in NE Iowa. If you go to this link www.acmoc.org/ACMOC_BB/showgroups.php and look for gwhdiesel 75 you can send him a private message or an email. That is about the best I can do.
Good luck with your project,
Jim

Jim and Jim:

The Cat Zimmerman is working on for GWH is a diesel conversion 60 and not a diesel 60-65 with the 9900 engine.

Don Dougherty @ <a href="This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it." target="_blank">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. has a Diesel 65 of his own and is currently working on the Diesel 65 belonging to Jack Wallace of Woodland, CA. We are hopeful that both of these tractors will be in Woodland, CA for the Best Show on Tracks in June of 2008.

I sent you a private email to inform you that I have lots of literature on Diesel 65's and 9900 engines that I would be willing to share with you. Please contact me if you like.

Thanks for the replies. After reading through some posts, I see some rich history in the Cat brand and I think I'm hooked. It's going to be hard to stay away and do my work! Thanks for the tips and keep 'em coming.

There were lots of diesel powered tractors been produced in Europe long before Cat were capable of building a diesel,they first tried to convert the gas engines they were using with no success from the time Holt and Best merged till CL Best recuited Carl Rosen, Rosen bought one of each brand of best selling diesel engines that were available at the time in the US and Europe,put them on test,tore them down and noted the good and bad points from each brand and armed with that information he built the Cat diesel,Karl Benz is credited with been the first production diesel tractor in 1923,Hornsbys of England built a heavy oil engine traction engine in 1896 and a crawler in 1908,Fowler England built large diesel powered tractors with pony engine start in 1926,Aveling England and Cassani Italy were making diesels before 1930,Lanz and MAN in Germany as well,the diesel engine was slow taking off in the US compared to Europe with gas been so cheap at the time in the US there was not the demand and with the harder starting people did not go for diesel,it was different in Europe with all oil having to be imported and diesel was more of a byproduct from the refinery it was much cheaper than gas so diesel was more sought after,the engines were small compared to the Rosen engine weighing in at nearly 2.25 tons it was heavier than the complete tractor of the others except Fowlers.
AJ

And I am thinking that there was an article in the ACMOC magazine several months ago addressing the first CAT diesel----you might want to check in with the girls at the ACMOC office.

I am down in the Mississippi Delta----don't have any experience or knowledge on the 60's, but do know they were instrumental workhorses with the levee contractors with the construction of the now mainline Mississippi River Levee system during the 30's. I might be able to come up with some old black and white real life levee construction pictures for you from the Levee Board in Clarksdale, Ms. Ironically----I was just up there today and don't know when I will be back up that way.

If interested, either let me know----or contact Robert Easely @ 662 624-4397and mention my name (Anson Sheldon, Jr.)

---

and of course pay cash and you should be able to get what ever you want. Robert is a retired superintindent who still does some consulting work with them (and is not in the office everyday, but his daugher in law Kim is a secretary there)----Robert is very familiar with the early Caterpillars (but the 60's were well before his time). They have numerous construction site pictures hanging on their walls (including mule power). I have photographed some of these pictures----but will have to search my files to see what I have.

Good luck----glad to see you are getting some responses.

Great avitar AJ----first time I noticed it. Must be new???

Delta Dirt

Mr. Allen.

You should be contacting the University of California at Davis. They have the very first production Diesel SIXTY (1C1) from 1931. I'm sure they would provide you with everything you need for a fantastic article!

tractors.ucdavis.edu/1C1.htm

Hope this helps.