Digger Man Blog’s Caterpillar memories

by Nick Drew | Wed 04 Mar 2015

Digger Man Blog’s Caterpillar memories

Whilst I am currently enjoying a feast of all the latest Caterpillar products here in Malaga, it kind of got me thinking about a number of Cat machines I have been around or operated over the year’s and in this blog I am going to take a look back at some of them.

My earliest exposure to Cat machines was back in the early 1970’s when as a 11 to 13 year old youngster I used to accompany my father to work on the weekends during the construction of the M27 south coast motorway between Southampton and Portsmouth. During that 3 year period I was lucky enough to be given the chance to operate a number of Cat machines including an example of the famous D9G dozer and this 941 tracked loading shovel. As a self confessed plant & machinery obsessed young lad, it was some of these very machines that used to adorn my bedroom walls in those days, so to get up close and personal with them was just a dream come true. Its a passion that is as strong today as it has ever been!

Much later on during my operating career I went on to operate a couple of Caterpillar machines from the 200 series range including this Eder based Cat 212BFT wheeled excavator (rubber duck)for Northampton based James King Plant. This was one of the first “ducks” I had operated but I have to say I really enjoyed the variety of jobs that I got to complete with this very versatile machine.

On the same company I was occasionally deployed to operate another 200 series model covering for the regular operator. The 225DLC was an awesome machine which I enjoyed operating back in those days, often working alongside a smaller 215DLC model, which I later returned to operate on a site in Cambridge in 2004.

Following a move to Devon to live and after a period of commuting back up country for more regular work, I took a job working for contractor Matt Troup, who was a big Caterpillar fan, operating his then, recently purchased, low houred Cat 312B excavator. This was a nice piece of kit to operate and I believe it is still in operation, a lasting testament to Caterpillar machinery’s longevity of life.

In more recent years I have spent time on the E series models including 312E, 316E and 320E machines, working on sites in the South West of England and further afield on a water treatment job in High Wycombe.

I have had many Cat operating opportunities during my career, including a chance to fulfill a dream of operating a scraper here in 2011, but being an excavator man at heart, one of the most amazing experiences was during my last trip to Malaga in 2014, when I was invited to take to the controls of the new 390F hydraulic excavator. This 90 tonne offering was sporting a 6 cubic metre bucket which it tore through the ground in an awesome display of hydraulic power!

Who knows what tomorrow will bring for the Digger Man Blog during our last day in Malaga.

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