Tarhe Driver
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Nov 16, 2015
- Messages
- 248
- Location
- Savannah, GA
- Occupation
- Comm. Real Est Appraiser-Retired cargo/helo pilot
Australian built graders information
Quote Ron Nash
The Australian Cat dealers were appalled at being denied a supply of Cat graders, so Waugh & Josephson, the NSW Cat dealers, approached Cat about building Cat graders in Australia.
W&J possessed major engineering construction workshop facilities.
Cat agreed to the deal, a world first, where Cat equipment was built outside the U.S., and W&J went on to build approximately 600 Caterpillar graders between 1936 and 1946.
In 1946, the agreement with W&J was rescinded, and a full "licence to build" for a wide range of Cat equipment, was given to Steelweld P/L. The Steelweld "licence to build" was the first post-War overseas "licence to build" issued by Cat. Cat later issued "licences to build" to companies in France, the U.K, South Africa and N.Z.
These W&J graders were initially called "Caterpillar Speed Patrols", to differentiate them from the U.S. built Caterpillar Auto Patrol, as the Cat grader was known, prior to 1939.
The W&J workshops built the majority of the grader frame, and the fully-completed engines and transmissions were imported from the U.S. and installed in the frame.
These W&J built graders were supplied with engines that had industrial engine S/N prefixes. The initial W&J graders were built on the Cat No 10 and No 11 design, which was the current big Cat grader in 1936.
In 1939, W&J commenced building Cat 12's under licence, and the W&J built Cat graders provided the majority of our military graders during WW2 for defence use.
The Cat 12 was initially called the No 12 Auto Patrol .. but in 1939, it was simply renamed the the Caterpillar No 12 motor grader.
Some U.S.-built Cat 12 graders with the 9K prefix were shipped in by the U.S. forces as well, to boost the numbers. These graders usually came as part of American engineer battalion plant, and I'm not sure how many were left behind when the Yanks moved on.
When the Yanks moved on to the islands further North, and eventually to Japan, they took the graders and their useable plant with them. A few of the graders may have been left behind, if they were unserviceable. A number of U.S.-built 9K series, Cat 12 graders, were possibly salvaged at the end of WW2 from islands close to Australia, and shipped in to Australia for repair/sale or for the salvagers use.
The W&J built Cat graders left in serviceable condition are few and far between. They are a unique part of Cat history. There is one restored one here, owned by a farmer in the Northern wheatbelt of W.A.
Quote Ron Nash
The Australian Cat dealers were appalled at being denied a supply of Cat graders, so Waugh & Josephson, the NSW Cat dealers, approached Cat about building Cat graders in Australia.
W&J possessed major engineering construction workshop facilities.
Cat agreed to the deal, a world first, where Cat equipment was built outside the U.S., and W&J went on to build approximately 600 Caterpillar graders between 1936 and 1946.
In 1946, the agreement with W&J was rescinded, and a full "licence to build" for a wide range of Cat equipment, was given to Steelweld P/L. The Steelweld "licence to build" was the first post-War overseas "licence to build" issued by Cat. Cat later issued "licences to build" to companies in France, the U.K, South Africa and N.Z.
These W&J graders were initially called "Caterpillar Speed Patrols", to differentiate them from the U.S. built Caterpillar Auto Patrol, as the Cat grader was known, prior to 1939.
The W&J workshops built the majority of the grader frame, and the fully-completed engines and transmissions were imported from the U.S. and installed in the frame.
These W&J built graders were supplied with engines that had industrial engine S/N prefixes. The initial W&J graders were built on the Cat No 10 and No 11 design, which was the current big Cat grader in 1936.
In 1939, W&J commenced building Cat 12's under licence, and the W&J built Cat graders provided the majority of our military graders during WW2 for defence use.
The Cat 12 was initially called the No 12 Auto Patrol .. but in 1939, it was simply renamed the the Caterpillar No 12 motor grader.
Some U.S.-built Cat 12 graders with the 9K prefix were shipped in by the U.S. forces as well, to boost the numbers. These graders usually came as part of American engineer battalion plant, and I'm not sure how many were left behind when the Yanks moved on.
When the Yanks moved on to the islands further North, and eventually to Japan, they took the graders and their useable plant with them. A few of the graders may have been left behind, if they were unserviceable. A number of U.S.-built 9K series, Cat 12 graders, were possibly salvaged at the end of WW2 from islands close to Australia, and shipped in to Australia for repair/sale or for the salvagers use.
The W&J built Cat graders left in serviceable condition are few and far between. They are a unique part of Cat history. There is one restored one here, owned by a farmer in the Northern wheatbelt of W.A.