Caterpillar D8H 46A Series Bulldozer at work on a section of Highway 401 east of Oshawa, Ontario.

This new Cat D8 had been sold and delivered by local Caterpillar dealer, Geo. W. Crothers Ltd., to Simcoe, Ontario based Hi-Way Construction Ltd. With grading and earthmoving contracts on the 400 series of Highways well underway by this time, contractors were clamouring for greater capacity scrapers and more powerful bulldozers. Equipped with a powershift transmission and a 205 kW (275 hp) engine these 46A Series D8’s were a common sight then and many of that era are still in action.

The young operator of this machine was Bill Knight of the Tillsonburg, Ontario area. Bill went on to form his own grading and excavating business in Southwestern Ontario, and could still be seen operating equipment into his 80’s!


 

Anyone else notice the clutch/pinion shifter, on the right side of this machine?

Best Show on Tracks in Woodland, Ca
One of my favorite action shots.

Hi, CTS.
The fuel tank is on the right. And the diesel exhaust is on the left. So I would agree with Pete C that the photo negative has been reversed.

On another note, I suspect that the D8 dozer in Cat Twenty Five's photo is an early D8H with 235 Horsepower, the vertical air cleaner being the giveaway. Wotz moor, I suspect that the photo was posed 'coz a working operator would have had his LEFT hand on the steering clutches and his right hand on the blade control. That is not to take anything away from the photo itself, just my observations.

Just my 0.02.

Hi Deas,

I am with you on the D8, definitely not a 270 as you say because of the aircleaner, however it may also not be a 235, because of the cable blade, it could possibly be a 225 with fuel converter, whilst there were some 235's with cable blades, most by that stage were fitted with hydraulic blades.

Wombat

Hi, Wombat.
Yer could well be right. There were some die-hards who still stuck with cable blades for a while after most people had gone to hydraulics. I don't know of any way to pick whether it was a 225 fuel converter or a 235 oil converter just from the photo.

Just my 0.02.