Hi, seyser.
Int'restin'. I dunno about here in the U.S. but back in those days back home, the great majority of grader operators operated standing up. That said, the only bit of anything like 'formal' instruction I ever had on a grader was from a man in his 50s who was almost as wide as he was high and not very 'athletic' at all. But, put him onna grader and he was poetry in motion. The first thing he told me was, "These machines have a seat. USE IT."

Thanks for the photo.

Just my 0.02.

Deas Plant. post=243671 userid=933Hi, seyser.
What's with the guys in the Jeep with the loudspeaker on top? Are they being back seat drivers for the operators?

A kew-ree-yuss mind would like to know.

Just my 0.02. 

That was preYouTube ... Sargent Armchair, back then they were called back seat drivers, was using the loud speaker to critique the operator.🤣😂🤣

Hi, Fat Dan.
There was an American foreman - whom we'll call 'Harry Zoaner' for the sake of anonymity - working on the Hammersley Iron Ore Rail Project in the Pilbara region of Western Australia in 1966. Our 'Harry' had a habit of standing up on top of a cutting, 15 to 20 feet above the machines working below and throwing rocks down at the machines to get an operator's attention. He did it one day to get the attention of a D8 dozer operator below. The rock landed on the hood of the dozer and bounced down onto the footplate - where it stayed.

The operator, a DowNunda boy, promptly stopped his machine, grabbed said rock and threw it right back up at 'Harry', FORCING him to dodge it - or be HIT.

THAT was the last time on record of 'Harry' ever throwing a rock AT a machine to get the operator's attention. After that, he aimed them well ahead of the machine. Message received. Pretty fair throw uphill by that operator too.

I have heard it said that communication is an art form.

Just my 0.02.

Deas before I started operating 12E graders I noted how all the operators stood up, however when I started the chap who got me going told me to sit down, he said that way your eye is much closer to the line of your work, making it easier to identify when to cut and fill. I only ever operated sitting down. Just as an aside, clearing snow O learnt very quickly to place a corn bag on the floor, it stopped my feet from freezing, I worked roads in the area surrounding the Snowy project.

Wombat

The early operators could have been use to standing after having stood on the platform of a pull grader for years.

Hi, naylorbros.
I am pretty sure that that had a lot to do with it but I also think there were a couple of other things in there too. One would likely have been thinking that they see the blade better thataway. Another possible factor might have been the lack of understanding of just how much information an operator can obtain through his/her favorite rump steak about what their machine is doing.

On the other side of the coin is the fact that you have FAR better control of the machine if you ARE sitting down 'coz you can reach the clutch and the brake pedals much easier and QUICKER and you are more stable in the seat if you happen to hit the 'immovable object'.

But what would I know? I'm 'justa pore, dumm bulldozer op'rator'.

Just my 0.02.

 

 

 
June 1964
Farm Forestry, General
Caption 1: Duchess County, New York. Lynfeld farm near Millbrook is an excellent example of good land utilization, combining regular farm operations 
with forestry. Some 30 acres of the farm's 275 is devoted to timber use. Here E. D. Brockway, District Director, 14 of the New York Conservation 
Dept., stops for a word with farmer Conrad Hamm. Above the fields to the left is a 34-year-old red pine plantation, "planted same year I was 
born," says owner Hamm. Stand was thinned in 1957 and chipped for stock bedding.