1955 Caterpillar D4 Traxcavator crawler tractor

Sometimes an opportunity comes along that can’t be passed up so I bought this Caterpillar D4 Traxcavator to do some minor earth moving around our place. The old house site needs to be leveled off and the barn east wall needs to have the hillside sloped away from the barn rather than toward it. I hope to keep spring runoff and heavy rains from coming into the barn. Also, the waterway is beginning to show signs of erosion that needs to be tended to.

If I can get the Cat repaired I think I will have a lot of fun with it. I will also be able to prepare a site for my cupola iron melting furnace. This machine will be a handy rig to have in the neighborhood.

I grew up around heavy road construction equipment and had been a “Catskinner” myself for several years before I went back to school so I do have some diesel in my blood. It will be a little bit like old times, getting back in the operators seat of a Cat.