I was wondering if anyone could identify the model of this Caterpillar that I saw at the BSOT?

Many thanks

David

Hi, David.
I think that little jigger is an experimental Holt 2-ton, made prior to the production run starting, and I think it belongs to Tom Madden. It is a pretty rare beast. In fact, I think that may be the only known survivor.

Hope this helps.

Deas:

It actually preceeds the 2 ton and the 5 ton and the 10 ton. It is serial number 11679 and the only reference I have found for it is that it is listed as a 1917 experimental, one of 7 made in a progression in Peoria and the only one that has surfaced. I purchased it from the Fred Heidrick collection in 2003.

Tom

I really like the color.

Al

Al:

When it was taken down to bare metal, that was the bottom of the 4 colors so that is the color she went back to. The orange on the rad came out of a color Holt book of about the same period.

T

Hi Tom

Guess it goes back to liking a full box of crayons with 144 colors when I was young.....

3 or 4 shades of Cat yellow seems too limited to me.

Al

Hi Tom & Deas

Many thanks for the info - certainly an interesting machine! One other crawler that I was unable to identify when I got home was the one below. Was it some kind of gun carrier??

Best wishes

David

David:

That is another one of the many odd ball type crawlers that I am trying to put together. That is a 1918 Holt 2 1/2 ton, or what is left of it. I brought it up to the show in hopes of finding the correct engine for it and lo and behold a nice gentleman came forward and has the engine that we are trying to mate to the 2 1/2 ton. There were under 100 of these little artillary movers made and I felt it worthwile to try to put it back together.

I bought it from a man by the name of Jim Brown in Mansfield, Ohio after he posted it on a tractor website. Bill Mancus called me and gave me the heads up and Jim and I put the deal together. Jim had acquired the tractor from a collector in Nevada.

The engine originally installed was a Cadilac V8 70 HP engine mated to the 3 speed tranny. Top speed on the 2 1/2 ton was 15 MPH. As with most of the Ton military tractors, the engine was encased in armor and the operator was in the open.

Thanks for asking.

Thanks again Tom for all this detailed info. That's a real stroke of luck finding the right engine too! Do you know if there are any other examples of the 2 1/2 ton left in preservation?

All the best

David

David:

I have heard that there may be one left but I have not been able to track it down. Check the email I sent you for more info.

Tom