Question for Willie

Willie, I have a question for you or anyone else that may help me in my search.I am trying to put dates on most of the literature that I have in my collection. Some of it has a date on it but most does not. I really can't go by the form #'s because Cat didn't really have a patten in putting #'s on the literature.This is where you can help,it seems like everytime someone needs to know when a certain machine was built you always have the year.Do you have a book, or what do you use.Thank you for any help you can give.Mike Durkin.

I use many diff sorces, for tractors after the merger use the ACMOC Ser. No. book, for everything that Cat,Holt&Best use the Caterpillar serial/product identifcation number index (it only gives first no. used, first yr built and country built) ,for the 2Tons&Holt Engine use Lorrie Dunnings article in Mar-Apl 2004 issue of ACMOC mag., for the giant wooden harvesters use the archives at the Heidrick Ag History Center, For the very early stuff you gotta use publications from Wik,Higgins,Alexander and others, as for Best I dont think he knew how to write because their aint much in way of records you just gotta tap one of the WIZZARDS like Tom Madden or Firecat