I ran across an old loader sitting in the woods around here. I was doing some digging on it on the Internet and ran into this forum site. It seems like this would be a good place to share some pictures of it and see if anyone has anything interesting to say about it or if anyone finds it interesting? I'm going to add the pictures here now. I hope you enjoy them -John Pics - 1964 Hough H90-DM - Corps of Engineers U.S. Army
Wish I could find one like that sitting in the woods! Good old Cummins powered too! so you going to get it running? I might have an engine manual for it, JT-6 Cummins!
It looks in decent shape with a 4 in 1 bucket to boot.
So, I don't know the story with this loader. It's been sitting there for at least several years, unmoved, out in the weather, not secured in any way. It's along the side of a hiking trail on Massachusetts state forest land. I assume it is there because of the state in some way but don't really know. It seemed to me it would be just like the state to have been using it for something there, then had problems with it, and hasn't had anything cause them to have to pay any more attention to it. Although, being an old loader from the corps of engineers, from 1964, it might not be the kind of a machine the state would own in the first place? I really don't know. It does seem like it's not so dilapidated looking that it would be considered abandoned scrap though, either. I wondered if it's a piece of equipment that would still be worth someone's time/money to rescue and repair, if that's its issue, or if it's the kind of thing that's so obsolete that the same money and effort could be used to acquire something more modern and capable, etc. I can see if I can find out more about who it belongs to and why it's sitting out just rusting.
It looks like it could be a good candidate to bring back to life. First thing to check is if the engine is free.
Ah, would the first thing to do be to get legal control? Please, I'm not trying to be a smart mouth.
Yes, for sure. At the moment I have no idea who owns it. I'm just assuming it belongs to the state of Massachusetts because it's been sitting on state property, unmoved, apparently non-functioning and unprotected, for at least several years now. I sent out an email earlier to start trying to find out who owns and/or has control of it. I'll definitely post whatever I'm able to find out
My guess is that it is owned by a contractor or a logger that was working in the area and was tasked with fixing his road. Every time I see a machine with covers off around the engine I wonder why they are off. Still, machines like these always intrigue me. Thanks for posting. It may not have set all that long. The tires are not in the ground at all. Even in gravel they usually settle in a inch or so or get blown dust built up around them.