Cletrac as any early heaveyweight!

[Monte1255]

Hi all:
I see a lot of post here, and many are about the history of the Crawler tractor, IF I may I'd like to bring some suggestion for debate (pros and cons)
If any of you farmers out there remember back in the day there was a little crawler tractor called Cletrac It's name was synonimous with quality and built by Oliver Corporation, letter designations such as
OC-3, OC-6 and etc. If I remember seeing correctly some of those crawlers were used in WWII to build runways and various constrution projects.
My Dad remembers seeing larger Cletracs on Midway in the early Sixties while he was stationed there with MCB-9 (USN Mobile construction Battalion)
Anyway, I'll try to find some pics to post and I hope you all enjoy seeing something that is a sure collectors item now!

[Squizzy246B]

http://www.heavyequipmentforums.com/Forum/showthread.php?t=1947

and you can go here for more info:

http://cletrac.org/

[Monte1255]

Thanks for the LInk Squizzy:
My brother is a really big Oliver nut, myself...well I like olivers, and the latter version that was to become White Farm Equipment.
We own one 1650 Oliver an 1850,and two 155's (White) My brother fully restored a 1945 oliver 60 and is dyed in the wool oliver man. This is how I know a little bit about the Cletracs.
I'm no expert on alll things oliver, but I do agree that the cletracs were a pretty little crawler....the restored cletrac that you had in your links that you sent to me is really well restored, however it would seem one thing that is bit out of whack, Oliver used a darker forest green on the cletracs more akin to the hunter green color of the early oliver 70's and Hart Parr's. But it is very well restored just the same and the little tyke seems ready to carry some happy farmer off to the field ......beautiful restoration just the same!!!!
If I am not mistaken, the oliver cletracs used several varieties of engines for the powerplants ranging from four cylinder Continentals to Waukesha's and then into the larger models they may have used some detroits 4v-53's and 6v-71's but more than likely they used 478 Hercules engines as they did in the 2150 front assist tractors.....
Again..I'm no expert this is just some bits that have come to my attention as a result of my brother's fascination with oliver tactors.
Thanks for the link!

[Squizzy246B]

Monte, who knows with the colour but it was not unusual for Australian Models to differ somewhat.:beatsme

Heres a HP from my travels:

http://www.heavyequipmentforums.com/Forum/showthread.php?t=1433

[tuney443]

Was it Cletrac or Oliver that had the loader bucket come over the operator's head? I know my Dad had both,but I can't remember now.

[digger242j]

I can't provide any of the details, but here are a couple pics of one that was at an equipment show near here.