I borrowed this from the Adventure Rider Forum: The road-building industry's first motorised, self-propelled motor grader was the Russell Motor Hi-Way Patrol No. 1. Introduced in 1919, it was powered by a two-wheeled tractor unit supplied by Allis-Chalmers.
I love old iron, but imagine a time when that guy got up in the morning excited to spend his day on the new machine, not having to deal with horses or the other guy driving the tractor.
This would have been its predecessor. Possibly towed by this
At Museum in Atlin?
Yes! My job sent me there to fix a truck.
I visited Atlin last May '24. Spent a couple of days there, nice area.
A few more early motorised road graders Early Champion Road Grader Goderich Ontario Canada Austin Motor Grader The Russell Motor Hi-Way Patrol, first developed in 1919, was the first known motor grader.Russell Grader Manufacturing Company catalog, c. 1920, Harry E. Young II Papers, HCEA Archives The earliest known example dates to 1919, when the Russell Grader Manufacturing Company combined parts of an Allis-Chalmers wheel tractor and a Russell Hi-Way Patrol pull grader with a 6-ft. (1.8 m) long, 13-1/2 in. (34.3 cm) high blade. Motor grader: W. A. Riddell (Warco) grader on McCormick-Deering 15-30 wheel tractor. Some early motor graders were mounted on crawler tractors or, as in this case, a Warco TH crawler bogey attachment.
Interesting that the world's first grader had an Allis-Chalmers power unit – given that A-C bought LaPlant-Choate Manufacturing Co. in 1952 and took over their scraper and grader designs.
A-C used to be into everything. Our smaller local hydro dam uses A-C generators. There were a lot of those old horse drawn graders in the weeds where I grew up, I think a lot of the older guys didn't like the change from horse to tractor. But the tractors got a lot more work done.
Yes, it's a company with a fascinating history in power generation. They built some pretty large hydropower generators – I've got an old A-C brochure that lists several power plants they buillt for the Tennessee Valley Authority projects – as well as steam turbines for thermal power, and nuclear reactors for power stations too.
We had AC medium voltage switchgear in one of our water pump stations and some AC motors in both 2400v and 600v in the district.
I found another early road grader Minnesota inventor Adolph Ronning Builds First Powered Road Grader 1924. View attachment 349417 Minnesota Inventor Built First Powered Road Grader Whenever you see a power road grader moving dirt, gravel or snow, Arnold Zempel of Montevideo, Minn., would like you to credit Adolph Ronning, a prolific inventor who was born in 1893 and grew up on a... www.farmshow.com
Here is a hybrid beast that is on display at the county shops. It is towed, but it has a knucklebuster gearbox and a single cylinder gas to do the knuckle-busting with. Parked with this jewel. Note the same pair of wheels as in @Truck Shop above, but worm and sector gears rather than rack and pinion. It all looks painful to me.
I bet one of those buggars would wear an operator out in short order.
99% of men back then were skinny, no joy sticks, no push buttons, no gps, and no Burger King.
A few more Russell Graders The Russell Grader Russell horse-drawn pull-type grader featured hand controls. www.constructionequipment.com Russell Jr. Road Grader When I saw the Russell name cast into the gears on this pull grader I assumed it was another product of the C. M. Russell Company of Massill... theironmule.blogspot.com https://www.caterpillar.com/en/news/caterpillarNews/h/the-origin-of-motor-graders-produced-by-caterpillar-began-110-years-ago.html
The Russell Elevating Grader and Wagon Loader This one has an unusual blade, video below shows it.
I was just out of high school i helped a guy that had 3 HD 11 AC. He cleared a road that had trees grown up in it. Then he borrowed a big old grader i drove one of the HD 11s and pulled him and we worked that road over. He was a good guy about to retire i enjoyed every minute of helping him.
Love those old illustrations!
A little more on Russell
The Western Wheeled Scraper Company THE STORY OF THE WESTERN WHEELED The First Wheeled Scrapers The wheeled scraper became a matter of necessity for the construction industry due to the need for improved earthmoving capabilities. www.oemoffhighway.com
And One from F.C. Austin MFG. Co.
One like Skyking posted in #14, and a couple motorized. *
Some Russell Grader advertisements
A few more from Russell’s Catalog
Advertising for Russell Graders
Western Wheeled Scraper https://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMXXZN_Western_Wheeled_Grader_Powell_WY
On the land i bought in Tennessee and built my home on, I found an old scraper by what I believe was an old clay pit. It was so old, it was riveted together, before welding, I believe. I pulled it out and put it beside the road, to prepare for cleaning it up and get a good look at. Went over there the next day and some scumbags had loaded it up and stole it, probably for scrap metal price. I was too busy to care it do anything about, at the time but reflecting back, it kinda pisses me off, as I never got a chance to get a really good look at it.
J D Adams Company Adams Number 8 Road Grader J.D. Adams Manufacturing Company in World War Two J.D. Adams & Company - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org Front cover indianamemory.contentdm.oclc.org
Wehr One-Man Power Grader Wehr One-Man Power Grader Pictured here in the winter of 1919 is a Wehr One-Man Power Grader on snow plow duty clearing Richmond Road near Ottawa, Ontario. www.equipmentjournal.com Wehr - Graces Guide V. RARE 1920'S "WEHR" FORDSON EQUIPMENT BROCHURE, GRADERS-ROLLER-TRUCK TRACTOR | #4696136263 THIS IS A VERY RARE, 1920'S ADVERTISING BROCHURE--POSTER FOR THE WEHR-- FORDSON TRACTOR EQUIPMENT, THAT ALL FIT ON THE FORDSON TRACTORS. THERE IS THE WEHR ONE MAN POWER GRADERS--WEHR QUICK DETACHABLE www.worthpoint.com https://collection.motat.nz/objects/51160/wehr-one-man-power-grader