Old + Weird Stuff at Lakeside Sand + Gravel - May-July 2016

The Lakeside collection differs from many others, in that it focuses on very early machines. Many of these are a bit weird, as designers tried to figure out how they should work, or had to work around existing patents.

The HD-7 was restored in 2015. It had been hoped to find some better tracks for it, but eventually the tired old ones went back on. See "Mounting Tracks on an HD-7" and "HD7 Track + Blade Installation - Part 2". Like all early hydraulic machines, the blade is very slow.

The tracked bottom dump wagon was built by Euclid Road Machinery, later Terex. The loose track design was common at the time, notice the very deep guide teeth. A similar competitor was Athey, who also made loose tracked logging arches. Imagine operating it for a 12 hour shift.

Isn't that a nice Cat 50!

The little half swing Bear-Cat shovel was built by Byers, of Ravenna Ohio. It is the little brother of the pinkish-orange half swing hoe at Brownsville. Somewhat odd to operate, for example, the swing lever operates backward for a left side machine. All of the machinery is densely crammed under the high deck. I have looked in there, and still have no idea which gear or clutch does what. This is an expert level operator, struggling to get it to do anything. "Does this beat that horse and slip scraper we were using!"

The Moore Speedcrane is the first Manitowoc, built in 1930. The design details of it look like a miniature 3900. Note that it has power boom lowering, via the swing/travel clutches, and the big lever you pull up on to engage the boom hoist. The swing / travel shift lever has a neutral position for boom operation. The boom was being lowered to install cable guides on the boom point, to allow faster swinging in bucket work.

#602

Lakeside Sand + Gravel
May - July 2016

Panasonic FZ-1000
160504g etc Lakeside Weird