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Here are photos of the D9 stripped of paint. You can see the blade is attached to the base on only side. This allows the tracks to be installed. That was an interesting casting. They were very clever.

Great pictures - thank you!

I suppose this design meant that the 18d was made up of only two components rather than three, which must have led to savings in moulding costs. Assembly must have been quite awkward. I think the tracks would have to be fitted before the base, with the axles peened afterwards.

It was also a rather fragile design in the hands of an enthusiastic child - in this case, me! It's inevitable that it would break here, but to be fair I don't think this stopped me playing with it, as you can see from the way the two parts of the blade arm have worn smooth.

joepinehill wrote:Here are photos of the D9 stripped of paint. You can see the blade is attached to the base on only side. This allows the tracks to be installed. That was an interesting casting. They were very clever.

Hello joepinehill,

Is there any chance of you taking a photo and posting one of the underside of this variation with small stack so we can see the inside before you join it all back together please.
I like the way the casting detail shows up without the thick layer of paint

Thanks for posting these.

Bert

By adding a base plate it makes for a stronger and safer child play model. It also gives Lesney a better platform to cast text, in particular Caterpillar for which they required licenses. Cost wise once a mould was made the benefits speak for themselves of producing 1 component of base/blade instead of having two moulds for blade and base plate. They still had a second mould for the body but the saving here was it was the body was that from the 8d Caterpillar Tractor.
The manufacture of the 18d/8d base plate would have been cost effective too, given it almost the same and easy to duplicate from master pattern with the exception of the text to clearly distinguish the tractor from the dozer and of course the blade.

Malibu wrote:hi bert,
thanks for the explanation and the pictures.
I wonder why they did it like this and not like the other castings befor.
Stephan

Hi Stephan,
I would think it would be to speed up the manufacture process, in particular the painting. Previously the 18a, 18b, 18c blade and body were painted separately, and then stored before fitting.
The 18d Caterpillar Bulldozer however once the body and base were fettled they were then riveted together and then painted. This means one operation for painting and less storing of painted parts. Then it was off to get the tracks fitted by opening the gap near the single stud and blade arm.

There were possibly two ways the final assembly was done.

One is to fit the rollers and axles then have them riveted and followed by stretching the tracks over the rollers.

But a safer way would be to fit the rollers and axles, then pull the tracks over the rollers. The slight pressure from the rubber tracks would keep the rollers and axle from falling off, and then they could be riveted. This method means rubber tracks are not flopping about while they are being presented to the axle end riveting machine. The operator simply puts completed models into a tray, after axle ends are rounded over, they are then boxed and sold and 50 years later happily collected, discussed, displayed and even repainted.

Unlike the 18b and 18c where we find body and blade two tone coloured models it does not apply to the 18d because of riveted base to body prior to painting means all one colour.

Another item of interest it that its big brother the king-size K3a Caterpillar D9 Dozer was cast without the hook but can be found with the hook aka K8a Tractor load. The 18d body is essentially the 8d Caterpillar tractor body with the hook found on every model. This was another cost saver by only needing one mould type for the body component for two models.

Bert

Note to Glenn,
I typed the above up before heading off to work and on getting home this evening I now see your post which gives a little different idea. Rather than add or alter the text please let us know if you need photos to clarify.
This was one of the models I was working with Kwakers on before his passing. We both had what we believed was a combination of a more accurate listing of this model, something I must get back to in the next 30 years.

yellowfoden wrote: I must get back to in the next 30 years.

Can you make it 20, I should still be able to make sense of it all, but not in 30 years, I'll be long gone!!

Ghosty.

Hi Bert,

thanks for your wonderful explanations to this model.
I like this sentence:
"they are then boxed and sold and 50 years later happily collected, discussed, displayed and even repainted. "

Stephan

yellowfoden wrote:I typed the above up before heading off to work and on getting home this evening I now see your post which gives a little different idea. Rather than add or alter the text please let us know if you need photos to clarify.
This was one of the models I was working with Kwakers on before his passing. We both had what we believed was a combination of a more accurate listing of this model, something I must get back to in the next 30 years.

Thanks, Bert. I'm sure you're right - the base and body were obviously riveted before painting. The tracks were slipped through the gap on the right side so that they hung over the blade. Then the wheels and axles were fitted. I would have guessed the axles were peened before the tracks were slipped off the blade and over the wheels, but I can also see your point that the tracks might get in the way. Whichever way it was done, this must have been easier than assembling the separate components like on the 18c.

I'd love to see that complete listing of the 18d. The only thing I could possibly contribute is that the broken one I showed earlier is a more orange shade, rather like the difference on the 6c Euclid.

Hi Bert, here is the view you requested and others.