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military earthmoving equipment owners?

maddawg308

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Anyone here lucky enough to own any military construction equipment from WWII to the present? Lots of bulldozers, scrapers, loaders, cranes, etc. served proudly, and though we can't drive them on the road much they are still cool.

And no, pics of you having an E-tool don't count as ownership of earthmoving equipment. I know some jackass will try that one.
 

poppop

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I once had a 1951 International TD 24 Bulldozer that was ex-military. It had the Data Plates on the dash. It was the biggest dozer they made at the time weighing in excess of 50,000 pounds. It was a brute to run, manual transmission, manual shuttle and cable blade. One hand on the clutch, one hand on the blade control and shift gears to reverse. It would really get the work done though and I enjoyed running it in my younger days.
 

waayfast

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Well sorry to say we don't have it any more but Dad had an Allis-Chalmers HD 14 dozer years back. It had data plates I remember but don't recall what they said as this was before I was interested in the hobby. Would anyone be familiar with that machine and what war (time) it was likely to be used? Had a 671 GMC Detroit and cable blade.
Jim
 

maddawg308

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I'm surprised noone has any LeTourneau stuff, they used to be a heavy hitter in the earthmoving field, even with the military. They built 10,000 towed scrapers and 2,000 self-propelled scrapers for the Army during WWII, and that's just scrapers. LeTourneau was in some way, a bigger company than Cat was back in the day, lots of different machines, and a lot of them found their way into defense.
 

maddawg308

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Couple pics from different shows I was at - looks like an airborne dozer, same model, I believe it's made by Clark. Same owner? Don't know. One was taken at Aberdeen, one at Gilbert.
 

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maddawg308

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Pics of a LeTourneau Model "D" Tournapull that is on eBay now. I don't know if this one was ever a genuine military vet (though it does have one rear tire that is an NDT). Also pics of a restored one that showed up at a Historical Construction Equipment Assn. event several years back.
 

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Danger Ranger

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Here are the pics I took, of what I now think is exactly what MD posted. I think it is a model D Latourneau scraper "the flying Latourneau" (they were airdropped). It has letters (CSP...) on the front left side of the scraper box, and on the arm attaching it to the power unit. I have pics of the smaller rear tires, and the lager front ones.

You will have to ignore the junk on top of it (plow and pickup cap).

In pic 2: notice the "D" under "SALEM O" <----?
pic 3: what is CSP AUG ?
pic 4 is the left side of the machine on the arm between the two halves. It says ED, I am clueless here.
pic 5: the rear wheel and tire.
pic 6: the front wheel and tire.
 

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maddawg308

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I forgot I took this one - old proof roller that was parked behind Roman's Surplus in Chambersburg, PA a few years back. Since gone, not sure if scrapped or saved. But it still had the Army star on the side.
 

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maddawg308

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Some others I saved pictures of - first six are dozers that have been sold on GL over the years, mostly CATs, but one large Euclid. Last pic is of a large restored LeTourneau Tournapull scraper, turned into a specialty carrier for the Air Force.
 

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landfillman

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Im an equipment operator and love all sorts of earth moving machinery Im looking for a 290 M right now. THere was one at a sale about 12 years ago and I missed it for 1500. I was just a dumb kid but had money in my hand. aAn old Car dealer had it and was building ponds on his farm. He found out he got Cancer and just gave up and sold it all.

Ive been trying to find one again. For alot of 290 M info look at Clark 290M Machinery, Clark 290M Parts

THey are in Boaz Al. Im looking at one right now for a backup unit and the landfill. Id loves to have one as a friend and I worked in Birmingham and they had 2 on the job and were handy when one got loaded they could push each other. We had one muley one with a blade only that pushed alot of dirt and push loaded. I never got to run one much but what I did do I enjoyed it.

My late nieghbor and friends whole company was based on surplus Military machinery. He had a deal with the local civil defense man. IF they needed a machine for a county job they got it for scrap price. Used it on the county job and then kept it. Afew year s ago before he passed the city made him clean up his lot and he scrapped several D7 with letourneau Blades and CCU and headache tubes.

He has several rollers. Even had some blades off some either 290 M or 830 M scrapers. We bought them for blades for our landfill compactors we built.


That Letoureau Westing house scraper conversion in the last pic was the classic TournaCrane Ill have to look up their tiltes I have 2 current RG Letourneau books on his mechanical and electric drive machines shows tons of is military equipment. He was a great patriot. IVe been to the old Plant In Vicksburg MS where alot of thins for WW2 were made.

The ELectric drive version of his book has alot of good pics of the Jungle crushers used in Vietnam and the tenders used to service them. I worked with a Vet once time early in my operating career that served one of the tenders to the jungle crushers and enjoyed lunch break. I probably worried him to death all the questions about it.

MD you are completely right on LeTourneau was bigger than Cat. Letourneau was way ahead of the game. He modenized the lift of the dozer blade, Modernized the lift and control of a scraper and made the first enclosed and liftable bowl. And the biggy he was famous for was the invention of the overhung scraper or 2 wheeled scraper. Lots of critics on that one but after that Cat wouldnt sell him motors.

Danger Ranger they D4 Letourneau is a real find if at all possible dont let it get scrapped. After the war many towns and counties got the D4 units. A town a bit south of me had one that loaded trucks. THey had a path dug in a hill. Your trcks drove in the path and they had a bridge over the top of it made from beams. WHen you parked under it the scraper drove over the bridges and dumped into a single axle truck.
 

Alredneck

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I have Allis Chalmers 645M Wheel Loader that use to belong to the Seabee's. I got it on a GSA auction from the FL Forestry Service. No clue if it has served overseas. Its a late 70s model but not sure the exact date. Has the 4 in 1 bucket. There are pics on her of the Dastly Dodge pulling it home but no clue where. If I find some or take some new ones tomorrow will post them. I work the piss out of it and have been replacing hyd hoses this last month. I also need a alt for it as well. Right now I have to pull the batteries every few days and charge them on the charger. I also need a wiring harness for it as the original on has been butchered. Anybody have manuals for this rig on pdf please pm me!
 
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