Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Antique Caterpillar Machinery Museum: Road Graders

IMG_8582 Caterpillar 66 Pull Grader at Antique Powerland in Brooks, Oregon on August 1, 2009
Caterpillar 66 Pull Grader on August 1, 2009

The pull grader, pulled by a crawler tractor, was commonly used in the maintenance of country roads in the 1920s. This Caterpillar 66 Pull Grader is an example of Caterpillar's largest model at the time. Two operators were required: one to drive the tractor and one to operate the grader. The combined length of the tractor and grader made turning and maneuvering in tight locations difficult. A grader blade attachment was made for the smaller gas tractors, which was more maneuverable but still required two operators.

IMG_8640 Caterpillar 212 Auto Patrol Motor Grader at Antique Powerland in Brooks, Oregon on August 1, 2009
Caterpillar 212 Auto Grader on August 1, 2009

In the early 1930s, Caterpillar introduced the Auto Patrol motor grader, which only required a single operator. Caterpillar's first diesel-powered motor graders were introduced in 1938-1939. This Caterpillar 212 Auto Patrol Motor Grader is an example of the smallest of the three models Caterpillar offered at the time.

Continue to Diesel Caterpillars

3 comments:

  1. Is actually a Caterpillar Diesel # 10 Auto Patrol. Not 212

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you for sharing this fascinating look at Caterpillar's grader evolution. The transition from the Caterpillar 66 Pull Grader to the 212 Auto Patrol Motor Grader marked a major milestone in construction equipment development. While these historic machines paved the way for modern grading technology, today's Used Motor Grader models offer significantly improved efficiency, maneuverability, and operator comfort. The advancement from two-operator systems to self-propelled graders demonstrates how the industry has evolved to meet growing construction and road maintenance demands. These preserved machines provide valuable insight into the engineering innovations that continue to influence modern motor grader design and performance.

    ReplyDelete