hello from michigan

[librarian62]

Just joined up. Glad to be here. Maybe I can learn a thing or two. My main interest is pre-1980 crawler draglines and pullshovels (backactors).
I've been collecting sales literature/brochures/manuals on old crawler draglines/cranes/pullshovels/shovels, and various trucks and cars, for quite a few years....usa-made (some british and italian car stuff also). I don't have it all, but I am always on a quest for what I don't have in my collection yet.
The only "machinery" I've operated was a WW2 era Oshkosh 4x4 snowplow with cummins diesel, and two-stick transmission (a lot of fun after I got used to shifting it); and a Case 1450 dozer.
I'm already enjoying the photos of old SMITH cranes and excavators in this forum. I'm going to check-out that SMITH crane website as well.

[Jeremy Rowland]

Hi Kevin welcome to CMN

Jeremy

[Holger]

Very welcome Kevin!
Any chance that you have photos of the Oshkosh to show?

[librarian62]

Thanks guys!
Sorry, no pics of the Oshkosh. It has long since been scrapped. When I ran it back in the '80's plowing parking lots and private drives, it had some cracks in the frame rails. The frame was already slightly warped from all the snow it had pushed over the years. It was an old W-703 from the air force, which was then (just after WW2) bought by a local county road commision, and sent back to the factory for conversion to diesel, and a longer hood to house the Cummins. It resembled a W-900 series after the conversion.

[Renaultman]

Hello and welcome Kevin glad you joined.

[librarian62]

Thanks Renaultman I'm glad I joined as well. Have learned quite a bit already about old Neal-Unit and Smith crawler crane/excavators....kind of a breath of fresh air since I have already amassed gobs of info on most all of the USA machinery of the same type.
Still more to learn about.