Bostonpowercat.com latest restoration project! Here is a link to the video... http://bostonpowercat.com/blog/caterpillar-dd9
The tractors look Smokin also the intro is a good bit of camera action, now all that is left is to fit swamp plates to counter all this rain we are getting. Its taken a few weeks to get it sorted but its been fun, tctractors p.s. for those that don't know this little set up is in the U.K. and will be used to push load the Scraper fleet, there was talk of using 9 CAT D2's but its easier to use 2 X D9's and 1 pilot.
LOL, 9 CAT D2's.... on a towline I suppose! :tong
Thanks
What a tease!!I wondered what you had been up to Tony,I have not seen any posts from you lately,I knew it was going to be good.I don't remember seeing the DD9 working,the vids have got to sound good.Guess I have to keep watching,thanks.Ron G
Like to see and hear those in the cut with that big scraper they have... I can almost feel it in my toes even now!
This little chariot is really all Karls efforts with the task going on possibly 10 years, time races on when you have to locate parts on a Global scale, the front nose group on the rear tractor was a bit of work for myself and Karl, we drove for hours then worked for hours then drove home for hours, it was 1 of those days that stay in the mind some, but credit to Karl he is getting good on the spanners now, he also does all the shot blasting and spray painting using paint by the Barrel not the Gallon. tctractors p.s. we can Haul this outfit in the U.K. in 1 lump on our roads, it makes all that Faffing about in the U.S. look silly.
A single D9H we have to remove the blade from the front, unless you do all kinds of special tricks, at least that's what I've been told in New York. I'd just hate to be rounding a curve on my motorcycle and see that load heading my way!
Well, we didn't have the Romans as general contractors on our roads, eh?
Did you ever see the DD9G they had at the Cat museum at Brooks? (Antique Powerland)
I have visited there a couple times during the Steam up, but no I have not seen that machine(s). Is it one of Ted Halton's toys?
Don't know where it came from, but it looked to be in pretty good condition. I didn't see it last year, so it may be gone. Or I walked right past it and missed it?
I would think a pair of Nines in a pushme/pullu configuration would be hard to miss, lol.
How effective was the DD9G? And could you replicate it with the (2) D7Gs for a 400HP push cat?
No, the DD9G was two D9G's attached with a weight transferring hitch setup. It had 770 hp together, so a lot more power to push those 666 scrapers. They were 54 cubic yard machines, so lots of push was needed. Here's a real pusher in action: That's back when they were made to last.
Okay for it's day, ONE operator,bit awkward, shorter service life > finals, steering clutches-brakes, bevel gear shaft etc compared to high drives. WHY? D8L or D9N,R,T give you very close (379Hp with Tier1 3408E) to over 400Hp (405Hp)
The why is based on cost of capital. A new D8T is 700K or $12,400 per month at 2.9% for 60. I bet you could put a pair of low hour D7Gs with the hitch for 125k or 2,400 per month for 5.5% for 60. Fuel is close, labor is equal, maintenance is higher but manageable.
I've worked on DD9Gs, maintenance compared to high-drive is more than doubled. D7Gs end of production was 1987; 31-32 years ago. Low hours? Trunnion Ball - Hitch D7G-D7G would have to custom fab'd and Front-to-Rear engine-transmission controls. DD9G used air controls; you would have to fabricate air cylinders to operate the steering-brake combo and engine governor controls (decelerator). Another consideration is emissions regulations; Texas has their own with limits per zones. New 8T; I would look for a 9N-R in good shape, plenty of push power for 621 scrapers. Cat performance handbook matches up 621s with 8T. 8T pushing mismatch, but economical for the situation. Job located close to my place.
If you're gonna rwin up a couple dozers, here's the way, IMHO! If you're in a hurry, check in at 7, 13, and 19 minutes, you can see it. AC HD20 or21"s paired up, don't know if it took 2 operators, but it only had 2 tracks...
That 657 That 8T x 657G is cool.
Stan, could you shoot me a message. I have a question about the quads/dd9's Thanks,
StanRUS has not posted since June of 2020.
You do know they also made a sxs d9g 2 9s one very large blade
Dad was a grade engineer for Kiewit on I-82 ( Nods to @Truck Shop ) and they had some of the Quad 9s there. He knew to stay the heck away from the scraper show, but one time his luck ran out. He purchased a brand new Datsun pickup for that job, and about the worst possible thing that can happen is a scraper in reverse. They creamed the bed and axle but the frame was not bent.
I did see that, but it wouldn't let me message him directly so I thought I would post. The response I got from the system was it was due to his settings when I tried to message him. Just trying to talk with guys that have worked on or been around quads.
Before DD9 or SxS9 & 30yrs before the D10 Peterson Cat & Kiewit tried sxsd8 like Euclid did twin engine twin tractor
Genuinely curious, in that era, were wages really that big of a deal that they were looking for this type of advantage? A reduction in maintenance, fuel usage, servicing would be minimal, the only real savings was one man, unless that blade was able to move 3 times the dirt. Maybe that was reality?
They were made for backfilling moving a lot of loose dirt quickly they weren’t supposed to be used for stripping but some used them D10s and D11s sorta made them obsolete Years ago I watched one backfilling they definitely could move a lot of dirt
1950s mass excavation new dams lakes for water for growth,airports 1958 new idea interstates replaced highways lot ground was moved lot odd stuff was built to keep on schedule
Another idea for the DDs was the Holland loaders some pic have 4 individual push/pull Cats,ih, Euclid allis. Crawlers grew so did Holland loaders
Holland 700 loader
In 1969 I lived in Rancho Cordova, just east of Sacramento. The new section of highway 50 was in progress, J.A. Jones Construction was the company doing the work. Most everything was Terex equipment, twin engine scrapers, dozers whatever. They had side by side Terex dozers at the one area I watched being cut. The area was all river run and previously mined by floating dredge. The noise was over the top.
Tilling built highways & Orville Dam watching b&w film reel at lake info center as a kid equipment used it's unreal the mount dirt pulled from the Feather river for gold
Was at G Coulee in 1971 when third generator house was built, massive project and small in comparison to original GC construction. *
imagine how refine #3 was with equipment available from start 1&2 built 1920s/30
Allis did it in 1950...
I've shouldered up to a 6 with another 6 to move a wad of mud. That is one place where a wide arsed blade can help. The stuff just flows back around you with one.