I have a rat story told to me by a guy who worked for a Cat dealer.
This guy I will call Ryan got to work on a Monday morning early. The parts manager came to the back and
asked him to go to the storage room and look for a engine block for a early D8, like before 14A models
late 40's/50's. He found it-manager told him to dig it out get it ready to ship to Chehalis.
He asked the manager why would anyone need that, never you mind was the reply.
The Chehalis shop was restoring this old D8 for a old retired logger. The previous Friday the engine had
just been set in-place before 5 pm and the fellers in the shop decided to all head to the local watering hole.
That night the alarms went off and the local security guy shows up but doesn't know what he's looking at
but it didn't look right, he calls the store manager.
Manager shows up and probably crapped himself was Ryan's guess. When the boys left to go drinking
they left the overhead hoist hooked to the engine sling. A insurance investigator was summoned he
climbed up and looked the overhead hoist over----------and found a Fried Rat.
The rat had shorted out the ancient hoist which lifted the engine out of the frame--dead headed the
thimble/hook--cable let go dropping that engine from what Ryan said was 20 plus feet.
It tore up a lot more than just the engine. A happening.
NC tried to keep that one all {Hush, Hush}. The hush, hush must be said with a British accent----
Terry Thomas.