Anybody Remember Back When?

[Tractor Seabee]

Large equipment like bulldozers and shovels had Pony Engines for starting motors and attachments were cable operated rather than hydraulic. Start the pony and get it warmed up, popped the clutch and turned over the main engine until it started, usually had to give it a whiff of ether. Then warmed up the main engine and get to work. Sometimes an hour process. Cold days created a new problem, multi viscosity oils were not made yet. First thing start a fire under the engine to warm up the oil and water, a tarp over it speeded up the warm up, then go through the start up process. This could be 2 hour process. Sent the flunky out to do the warm up while we sat in the warm shed/tent and drink coffee. When I enlisted in the Seabees in 1954 we were still using some those.

Ron

 

[mddorange]

Ron, I hate to say it but I was only 8 in 1954.

Now I have heard of them and even saw a couple but never started or drove one. Sorry.

 

[Tractor Seabee]

Ron, I hate to say it but I was only 8 in 1954.

Now I have heard of them and even saw a couple but never started or drove one. Sorry.

They could be a real ***** to start, especially in windy, below freezing weather. I was one of those flunkies back then. Wasn't sorry to see them go. Try greasing (hand pump) a bulldozer in those days. They took a lot of grease. Another flunky (E1-E3) job. In construction they were called oilers.

Ron

 

[k0ua]

I was a gleam in my dad's eye in 1954.. so while I have seen them on video, No, I haven't operated any of those....

 

[mddorange]

They could be a real ***** to start, especially in windy, below freezing weather. I was one of those flunkies back then. Wasn't sorry to see them go. Try greasing (hand pump) a bulldozer in those days. They took a lot of grease. Another flunky (E1-E3) job. In construction they were called oilers.

Ron

I grew up around big trucks and heavy equipment. My Grandfather used to take me with him to grade county roads or use a D7 when I was about 7 or 8. My father drove dump trucks for the county while he was in high school since my grandfather was the supervisor of county maintenance in TN.

 

[bcp]

Yes, but living in the SW desert, I didn't have the very cold start problems. I don't remember it taking more than 5-10 minutes. My use was seldom enough I had to look at things for a while to remember what to do. I always got the two levers mixed up, and had to sort that out in my mind.

Bruce

 

[oosik]

1970 - Dawson city - Yukon Territory. One of the old miners working a claim on Bonanza Cr had a dozer just like that. He spent more time tinkering with that dozer - greasing, adjusting, tightening, repairing than he did "dozing for gold". Start up was not a procedure - it was a ritual. He also had a non working coal fired steam dozer. The flywheel on that steam dozer was gigantic by anybodies terms. The entire dozer was a complete assembledge of bolted together bits and parts. He said it was brought from San FranSisco by steamer - around Alaska's Aleutian Chain - to the mouth of the Yukon River. Then reloaded onto a river paddlewheel steamer and up the Yukon to Dawson City. All the bits and parts were bolted together and you had a working dozer. Working with that steam dozer must have been a real handful. The only coal in that part of the world is a very soft - low grade coal. The steam and smoke must have made work a real choking experience.

 

[Looking4new]

I have seen them, but have never operated one. Thankfully.

 

[4get gto]

And think we bixch today if our block heaters don't work..

To listen from guys that worked on or operated the equipment from 50+ years ago really make you appreciate what we have today.