Pictured here in 2012 is a vintage Caterpillar D2 crawler headed for the International Plowing Match held at Roseville, Ontario, near Waterloo.
The Historical Construction Equipment Association of Canada (HCEA Canada) had several antique machines on display from this little Cat D2 to the big I-H TD 30 dozer with a 4.3-metre blade.
The owner of the D2, Carl Roney, had stripped every part of the crawler and brought it back to perfection. One pull on the pup-engine and the diesel fired up! He also had his Caterpillar D13000 engine from the 1940’s at the same event.
The first Caterpillar D2 J-Series was introduced in 1938 with diesel power of 32 hp. The machine was built until 1947 with 19,000 units manufactured.
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When the D2 U-Series was introduced, it had a D311 engine. The new series featured several improvements, including more power at 55 hp. A staggering number of units were built, with 26,500 manufactured in a decade when the last D2 rolled off the assembly line in 1957.
Contractors and farmers alike put the Cat D2 to work. Options, such as PTO’s, winches and hydraulic bulldozer blades could be attached. The front-mounted hydraulic pump ran off the crankshaft while the PTO was gear driven.
Other applications such as orchards and forestry work fit the Caterpillar D2 well through nearly two decades before the Cat D4 crawler took over.
The Historical Construction Equipment Association 2024 events include Wheels & Tracks, held June 8-9, and the ‘Last Blast’ event on October 19.
Both events are held at the Simcoe County Museum, near Barrie, Ontario. To see more than 60 pieces of vintage construction equipment in action be sure to attend.
HCEA Canada is a proud Heritage Partner of the Simcoe County Museum. For more information, visit hceacanada.org.
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