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Earth moving equipment books - history and technology

A book on earth moving equipment? Here are books on the history and technology of crawler dozers, wheel loaders, graders, scrapers and other machines.

Euclid Earthmoving Equipment 1924-1968 Photo Gallery

This book examines the company's equipment origins, starting with the Euclid Crane & Hoist Company, and The Euclid Road Machinery Company, right on through the years General Motors controlled the company as Euclid Division.
All of the company's major equipment product lines are covered, including rear-dump and bottom-dump haulers, scrapers, crawler dozers, wheel loaders, and blade-veyors.

Also included are numerous military offerings, prototypes, and experimental designs, some of which have never been seen in publications before. Also included are tables for machine introductions and production.
From the serious equipment historian, to the heavy equipment enthusiast, Euclid is packed with tons of the ''green-iron'' for your enjoyment.

Product details

Author:Eric C. Orlemann
Details:222 pages, 28 x 21.5 x 1.3 cm / 11 x 8.5 x 0.51 in, paperback
Illustrations:473 b&w photos
Publisher:Iconografix (USA, 2004)
ISBN:9781583881293
Cover book Euclid Earthmoving Equipment 1924-1968

Euclid Earthmoving Equipment 1924-1968

Language: English

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Haulpak and Lectra Haul: The World's Greatest Off-Highway Earthmoving Trucks

In quarries and mines around the world, Haulpak and Lectra Haul off-highway haulers are legendary and are some of the largest trucks in operation today.
The Haulpak truck line launched in the late 1950s and the Lectra Haul diesel-electric drive truck introduced in the early 1960s, shaped the way all modern off-highway haulers are designed even to this day. The Haulpak name was carried by such companies as LeTourneau-Westinghouse / WABCO (Westinghouse Air Brake Company), Dresser, Komatsu-Dresser, and finally Komatsu.

Lectra Haul was the trademark name for trucks built by Unit Rig, which would become part of Terex, Bucyrus International, and now Caterpillar, Inc. Each truck's designs were the templates for most future mining hauler models in use around the world.
Construction Equipment author Eric Orlemann honors these off-highway marvels that carried these names, both past and present, with historic and modern photography, much of it never seen in published form before.

Product details

Author:Eric C. Orlemann
Details:160 pages, 28 x 21.5 x 1.3 cm / 11 x 8.5 x 0.51 in, paperback
Illustrations:288 b&w and colour photos
Publisher:Iconografix (USA, 2012)
ISBN:9781583882924
Cover book Haulpak and Lectra Haul: The World's Greatest Off-Highway Earthmoving Trucks

Haulpak and Lectra Haul: The World's Greatest Off-Highway Earthmoving Trucks

Language: English

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Classic Vintage Crawlers and Dozers (Volume 1)

This first volume, which includes Allis-Chalmers and Case, as well as Caterpillar from the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s, takes a long and colorful look at the development of the crawler tractor and bulldozer. The crawler photographs and text are arranged chronologically so the reader can follow development of the machines through the years.

Throughout the research period for this book, hundreds of black and white and color photographs were taken at shows, and numerous illustrations were gathered from libraries, machinery manufacturing companies and from private collections, and this first volume includes nearly 400 of them.

Product details

Author:Roger V. Amato, Donald J. Heimburger
Details:188 pages, 26 x 28.5 x 1.9 cm / 10.25 x 11.2 x 0.75 in, hardback
Illustrations:about 400 b&w and colour photos
Publisher:Heimburger House Publishing Company (USA, 2003)
ISBN:9780911581546
Cover book Classic Vintage Crawlers and Dozers (Volume 1)

Classic Vintage Crawlers and Dozers (Volume 1)

Language: English

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International TracTracTor Photo Archive

From the 10-20 TracTracTors of 1929 to the mighty TD-Series of the the 1940s, International Harvester challenged Caterpillar and Cletrac for leadership in tractor crawler marketplace.
Here are a full range of IH crawlers in photos from the McCormick-International Harvester Company Collection.

Product details

Author:P.A. Letourneau
Details:122 pages, 22 x 26 x 1 cm / 8.7 x 10.25 x 0.39 in, paperback
Illustrations:117 b&w photos
Publisher:Iconografix (USA, 2014)
ISBN:9781583883204
Cover book International TracTracTor

International TracTracTor

Language: English

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JCB Scrapbook - Celebrating 75 years of engineering innovation

In October 1945, Joseph Cyril Bamford founded a company that would transform the construction and agricultural machinery industries. JCB developed the world's first backhoe loader - a machine that remains central to its operations and innovation.

Though the backhoe loader became its signature product, JCB soon expanded into a wide range of machines. Over the past 75 years, the company has grown into a global leader, producing more than 300 types of equipment across four continents. Despite this growth, JCB has maintained its original values as a family-led business focused on reliability. It is now headed by Lord Anthony Bamford.

This illustrated book celebrates JCB's engineering achievements and the machines that have become familiar around the world. It traces the company's progress from its first trailer, built in 1945 using scrap metal, to the most recent electric mini excavators. The story is told through a rich collection of images from JCB's own archives.

Product details

Author:Martin Port
Details:144 pages, 24 x 30.5 x 1.3 cm / 9 x 12 x 0.51 in, paperback
Illustrations:profusely illustrated
Publisher:Porter Press International (GB, 2020)
ISBN:9781913089177
Cover book JCB Scrapbook - Celebrating 75 years of engineering innovation

JCB Scrapbook - Celebrating 75 years of engineering innovation

Language: English

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Die Muldenkipper-Legende: FAUN / O&K 1952 bis 2004

A dump truck is a heavy-duty tipper truck for use on construction sites or in quarries. The 50-year history of the legendary FAUN and O&K dump trucks is told here: from the first K 20 with 175 hp to the top model K100 with 1065 hp.

Excellent photographs show the heavy dump trucks in action. The technology is explained with texts and data tables. An excellent illustrated book and a first-class reference work.

Product details

Author:Alfred Meyer
Details:245 pages, 28.5 x 21.5 x 2.4 cm / 11.2 x 8.5 x 0.94 in, hardback
Illustrations:480 b&w and colour photos
Publisher:Verlag Podszun (D, 2022)
ISBN:9783751610643
Cover book Die Muldenkipper-Legende: FAUN / O&K 1952 bis 2004

Die Muldenkipper-Legende: FAUN / O&K 1952 bis 2004

Language: German

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Die Geschichte der Baggerlader (Band 2)

In 1953, the Briton Joseph Cyril Bamford (JCB) introduced a work machine that had an excavator at the rear and a massive loading shovel at the front. A tractor served as the basis. Since the 1960s, other tractor manufacturers have also been developing their own versions of the backhoe loader.
Massey Ferguson's development of the Instant Reverse, a reversing gear with torque converter, is outstanding. Further developments make working with the multi-purpose device increasingly easier: self-leveling shovel, quick coupler, hydraulically adjustable sideshift and telescopic dipper stick are just some of the innovations.

In this second volume, Rudi Heppe presents the history of foreign backhoe loader manufacturers and shows the variety of types using rare photographs from almost seven decades.

Pages of the book Die Geschichte der Baggerlader (Band 2) (1)

From the contents: Case, Caterpillar, Fermec, Fiat, Ford, Huddig, Hydrema, Hymac, JCB, Kiew, Komatsu, Lännen, Mecalac, Terex Volvo, Warynsky and Whitlock.

Pages of the book Die Geschichte der Baggerlader (Band 2) (2)

Product details

Author:Rudi Heppe
Details:160 pages, 2.5 x 2 cm / 1 x 0.8 in, hardback
Illustrations:480 b&w and colour photos
Publisher:Verlag Podszun (D, 2021)
ISBN:9783861339922
Cover book Die Geschichte der Baggerlader (Band 2)

Die Geschichte der Baggerlader (Band 2)

Language: German

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Hatra Baumaschinen und Schiffe

From a small locksmith shop emerged, starting in 1919, a successful shipbuilding company and a large construction equipment factory: Hatra!
After World War II, Hans Hagelstein led his company to the forefront of the German construction machinery industry. The legendary Kemna road rollers, award-winning construction machines, and state-of-the-art hydraulic excavators defined construction sites worldwide for nearly 30 years.
For over a decade, shipbuilding also dominated in Travemünde, producing numerous new vessels for the world's oceans. In addition to sea vessels, Hatra sport boats were part of the incredibly diverse production program of the once most lucrative company in Schleswig-Holstein, employing over 1,000 people.

Beyond a comprehensive historical overview of the company, the book meticulously describes the ships and all Hatra construction machinery in technical detail. It also sheds light on various historical contexts and extraordinary events throughout the company's history.

Product details

Author:Ulf Böge
Details:224 pages, 28.5 x 21 x 2.5 cm / 11.2 x 8.25 x 0.98 in, hardback
Illustrations:540 b&w and colour photos
Publisher:Verlag Podszun (D, 2023)
ISBN:9783751610766
Cover book Hatra Baumaschinen und Schiffe

Hatra Baumaschinen und Schiffe

Language: German

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Last update: 03/06/2025