Seabee bulldozer???

steelsoldiers · Nov 2, 2009

I seem to keep ending up with Seabee trucks because of where I live. M923A2 was a Seabee truck and now I have the Seabee 925A2. My Dad has a Seabee M756A2 too.

I like the Seabee stuff since it is unique so I am going to keep going with that theme. I have been talking with my brother about getting a dozer to haul behind the 925A2.

I don't anticipate being able to find an actual Seabee dozer, but maybe I'll get lucky. I will most likely have to get a civi dozer and paint it up Seabee style. What were the most commonly used dozers? Cat D5? That's about 13 tons I think so I should be able manage that with a good equipment trailer with air brakes. A D4 would be even easier to manage.

Thoughts?

airbornebandsman · Nov 2, 2009

When my wife was in the Seabees they used mostly D7's. (most of the military also uses D7's or larger. I believe the Seabees on Little Creek also had some D8/9R's also. The only place I have seen the military use smaller dozers was on Bragg. We had a couple D5's that they used to use for ABN ops.

hndrsonj · Nov 2, 2009

Since we are on the seabee subject, Does your truck still have the markings? What exactly is supposed to be on the "seabee" trucks for markings? As far as dozers, I think there is one on GSA right now.

steelsoldiers · Nov 2, 2009

Hmm, D7's are a little big for me unless I end up doing a 915 tractor and lowboy trailer.

My 925A2 was missing the doors when I got it, but my 923A2 had the Seabee stencil on both doors. My 925A2 has the stencil on both mud flaps. I plan on doing the doors after I get it painted and keeping the flaps.

The Seabee 923 I was looking at on GL last year was solid CARC green with a black chassis. It had Seabee markings on both doors and the tips of the bumper shackles were painted in the same yellow. That's what I plan on doing with my truck.

OD_Coyote · Nov 2, 2009

If you go with the WWII era you could do a D4...That is what I plan to do.

11Echo · Nov 2, 2009

Well, it's a bit small, wrong color, overpriced but, ex-military.

Yesterday's Tractors - View Antique Tractor Photo Ads

steelsoldiers · Nov 2, 2009

Chris, that's a nice looking D4. Easy size to tote around too. I may have to go bigger to get something period correct though, huh?

Ron, I love those airborne crawlers, but man they are $$$.

Maybe I just need to get a M548A1 instead?! :twisted:

Those are awesome. Love the screaming Jimmy Detroit!

steelsoldiers · Nov 2, 2009

airbornebandsman said:
I believe the Seabees on Little Creek also had some D8/9R's also.

Hmmm, that's where my truck came from so that would be more realistic. Come to think of it, I think I saw a couple of D8's with Seabee markings sitting in the GL lot when I picked up my 925A2 corpse.

airbornebandsman · Nov 2, 2009

For the most part the Seabees and Air Farce use Civvy trucks/trailers (International etc.) adapted (painted) for military use to haul their dozers around.

southdave · Nov 2, 2009

Chris just find somthing you like paint it carc or semi-gloss green replace all factory decal figure out some cese number for the side about 8" block letters on it . We had pretty much the same off the rack equipment civilian markets trackhoes to grader ect.. Maybe Some EO or CM will fill you in on the CESE numbering. Maybe look for EO 1&2 manual or CM 1&2

11Echo · Nov 2, 2009

steelsoldiers said:
Chris, that's a nice looking D4. Easy size to tote around too. I may have to go bigger to get something period correct though, huh?

Ron, I love those airborne crawlers, but man they are $$$.

Maybe I just need to get a M548A1 instead?! Those are awesome. Love the screaming Jimmy Detroit!

That site also list a D4 and this TD9, both under 10 Grand.

CatMan · Nov 2, 2009

Navy Seabee Equipment

Chris,

I love that engineer equipment. Anybody can get a commercial dozer and paint it but what I would try and find was a tractor unique to the Seabee mission.

In the 1960's the Navy purchased the Eimco Dozer. It was a medium speed tractor with dozer and had hydraulics to pull a scraper. They were powered by a Detroit Diesel like an 8V71. Engine was rear mounted and the operator sat forward. They were the same size class as the Army D7E tractors.

We had a surplus one at the county highway dept were I worked summers in the Mid 1970's. It was Navy grey and had Seabee logo's on both sides. I ran it some in the quarry and we had an MSHA inspector check on us. He was Ex Seabee and ran them in Vietnam. We got along great as long as I let him take it for a spin when he was at our site. I wish I had a picture of the dozer now.

The twin exhaust stacks angled up to the rear. Everyone said they looked like two 4.2 Mortar tubes.

The dozers were pretty scarry to run because you sat so far forward. They were hydraulic steer and the tracks could counter rotate. Scare the crap out of you if you were not careful going on or off the lowboy.

They still turn up. Kevin at Army Cars USA had one last year. Don't know who has it now.

Now that would be a cool show rig. You find one and I'll come run it.

Good Luck

Cat Man :-D

southdave · Nov 2, 2009

Cese # off the net

southdave · Nov 2, 2009

here try this again

cbvet · Nov 2, 2009

The only SeaBee dozers I remember from 1966-1968, are International TD 6s & TD 20s, & Cat D7s.

steelsoldiers · Nov 2, 2009

CatMan said:
Chris,

I love that engineer equipment. Anybody can get a commercial dozer and paint it but what I would try and find was a tractor unique to the Seabee mission.

In the 1960's the Navy purchased the Eimco Dozer. It was a medium speed tractor with dozer and had hydraulics to pull a scraper. They were powered by a Detroit Diesel like an 8V71. Engine was rear mounted and the operator sat forward. They were the same size class as the Army D7E tractors.

We had a surplus one at the county highway dept were I worked summers in the Mid 1970's. It was Navy grey and had Seabee logo's on both sides. I ran it some in the quarry and we had an MSHA inspector check on us. He was Ex Seabee and ran them in Vietnam. We got along great as long as I let him take it for a spin when he was at our site. I wish I had a picture of the dozer now.

The twin exhaust stacks angled up to the rear. Everyone said they looked like two 4.2 Mortar tubes.

The dozers were pretty scarry to run because you sat so far forward. They were hydraulic steer and the tracks could counter rotate. Scare the crap out of you if you were not careful going on or off the lowboy.

They still turn up. Kevin at Army Cars USA had one last year. Don't know who has it now.

Now that would be a cool show rig. You find one and I'll come run it.

Good Luck

Cat Man

Very cool! I will keep my eyes out for one of those! I love authenticity!

southdave said:
here try this again

Wow, what an excavator!

cbvet said:
The only SeaBee dozers I remember from 1966-1968, are International TD 6s & TD 20s, & Cat D7s.

Thanks Eric. I didn't know you guys used the international series. I will watch for one of those too.

pwrwagonfire · Nov 2, 2009

I gotta be careful around here....the more I read threads like this, the more stuff I want!! :twisted:

I would LOVE one of those D4s......if I wasnt young.....and I had a few acres to maintain....and a permanent job... :roll:

southdave · Nov 2, 2009

Eimco went out of bussiness during Viet. war, They where purchase Orig. for the MEF talked to EO that ran them said they where crappy for intended use too light when compared to TD-20 cat d5 and d7

EZFEED · Nov 2, 2009

Those old dozers are neat, this would be super cool Chris if you could find one. :-D

jimk · Nov 2, 2009

My neighbor, Glen, was a WWII Seebee. He told me 2 war stories before he passed away. He said when he was in Italy they were building up the waterfront so the ships could unload. He had a large dozer and was pushing stuff in the water, including railroad box cars. At one point the ground started to collapse. He put his dozer in reverse but it was not fast enough and it slid into the water. They did not bother to recover it and it became part of the fill.

Seabee bulldozer???

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