Odd Caterpillar D-6

[micbare]

I ran across these pictures on machinary trader. I don`t think i have seen
a bulldozer converted to a rubber tired machine. Has any one else had any dealings with something like this. In the ad it was called a sugar babe. I think they pull sugar cane wagons with it. :beatsme

 

[JoeinTX]

Caterpillar built a few of these in the late 1940s/early 1950s (?) as specialty tow tractors for specific customers........seems like the impetus for the idea was a request by Ringling Bros. Circus for a more powerful tired tractor than they could buy from the ag manufacturers at the time and a more mobile tractor than the conventional tracked machine or some such.



I know there are others on this board who'll have all of the info but this is the first one I've seen for sale in a looooong time.

 

[Allen66]

where does that exhaust pipe stop? lol

 

[cat 385]

if that uses steering clutches to steer I'll bet that thing can trow you around a bit,especially on pavement.

 

[Komatsu 150]

Caterpillar built a few of these in the late 1940s/early 1950s (?) as specialty tow tractors for specific customers........seems like the impetus for the idea was a request by Ringling Bros. Circus for a more powerful tired tractor than they could buy from the ag manufacturers at the time and a more mobile tractor than the conventional tracked machine or some such.



I know there are others on this board who'll have all of the info but this is the first one I've seen for sale in a looooong time.

I've read somewhere on this forum that Ringling wanted it to pull railroad cars on sidings and trying to cross a railroad track and then line up a tracked machine would be a mess.

 

[CAT D9H]

i would imagine that would be interesting to operate , it'd be a wild ride

 

[Rusted]

That's a DW6B, based on a D6B tractor. About 150 or so were built in the early 60's.

 

[surfer-joe]

I saw one sitting in the weeds in Northern California last summer, near Sacramento I believe, probably used in the rice fields originally. I have seen these in the distant past pulling sugarbeet wagons near Saginaw, Michigan, up in Turbo's country.

 

[334 lawn co]

oh man- you dont see those too often. last time i sawone, well , it was on here. a year or so back i think....

 

[d4c24a]

youtube

here is a clip of one on youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4L4BhdSP5Bk&feature=related
enjoy
cheers graham

 

[Taylortractornu]

I saw on a bout 2 months back in a Classic Plant and machinery Im subscrbed to. It was at a show in I think Holland. It had a cable pan behind it. I know a fellow that saw one used years ago up nrth working a sheeps foot and a pan. His also had a littl knock down blade. They also made one for a D2 I think a collector would snap that tractor up in a hurry.

 

[JDOFMEMI]

It looks very similar to the LeTourneau Wheel dozers of the 40's to the 60's, right down to the skid steer turning.

 

[ronnie]

the power unit looks like the 1's used when you pull a scraper

 

[Knucklehead]

I've read somewhere on this forum that Ringling wanted it to pull railroad cars on sidings and trying to cross a railroad track and then line up a tracked machine would be a mess.

It can be a ROUGH ride, if not done properly. It really helps to have a PAT blade!!! When not done properly, it can break windows, if you got them.

 

[GreenWannabe]

The machine was also used for a test bed during development of the Challenger tractor line, I believe. Caterpillar also provided another four-wheeled tractor to the military, the 830M, which was used to pull towed scrapers. The engine was in the front, and I think it was very similar in design to one og their wheel loaders of the day. Shepherd Machinery in LA sold a number of the 830M tractors, and advertised them pretty heavily there.

 

[D5G]

Very cool! I have never seen anything like that before.

 

[Jt13speed]

That thing is awesome! I cant really tell from the video, but i would assume it is only rear wheel drive?
Or do they have it somehow connected to power the front wheels as well?

 

[JimBruce42]

Kinda hard to say from the photos but I'm willing to bed it has a kind of chain drive, similar to some motor graders.

 

[excavator591]

i saw one very old too

here
http://www.machineryzone.com/used/wheel-dozer/682752/caterpillar-824b.html

 

[excavator591]