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Rank: Newbie
Groups: Member
Joined: 8/31/2007
Posts: 5
Location: Iowa
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a story about the REAL HD-41 which I heard in the context of a discussion about the model...
The owner of an actual restored machine heard this & told me in his front yard yesterday. An old 41 operator was finally willing to share this all these years later (previously fearful he'd get fired if anyone ever caught wind), some years back the outfit this operator worked for had 2 new Cat D-8's and the driver's were constantly teasing the HD-41 operator, boasting how wonderful their machine's were, the power, the traction, etc. After a few days of this he got fed-up and challenged them to meet in the bottom of a valley they were working (while the boss was away of course).
They lined-up head to head. Aftersome discussion over whether the Cats should be side-by-side or end-to-end thy opted for the former and each put a point of their blades against the mammoth's blade. The black smoke belched from all the stacks but the A-C moved forward without missing a beat. The D-8's stayed straight for a short while but soon couldn't steer for loss of traction (understandably) and each slipped off to the outward side.
They kept quiet about it for obvious reasons, and the D-8 drivers kept wearing their CAT buckles and hats, but they had nothing but respect for the 41 after that.
TRUE STORY, or so I'm told...
-Kelly
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Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Member
Joined: 3/21/2006
Posts: 5,046
Location: B-town
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Welcome (again) Kelly. I would have loved to been a witness to such an event, and while I have no clue to the power and performance of either machine, it doesn't seem so surprising of a story. Now if somebody would make an HD 41 in 1/50th?.... well.  Chris
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Rank: Member
Groups: Member
Joined: 3/29/2004
Posts: 82
Location: South Australia
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Hi from Aussie .. there are undoubtably some hidden stories about the earlier 41's in Australia as well. I know for a fact that one company went broke over one. It goes that a major roadwork project was under way and the limestone was so hard that nothing was suitable to handle it efficiently, (I.m talking back in the 60's) these AC 41's had just come on the market and being the big monster model back in that era, then that was the answer or so they thought .. all that weight and power !! Well .. that was fine until the weight and power was too much for the machine. The main problem was keeping the ripper assembly intact let alone the ripper tyne in one piece !. Other major component problems were in the transmission and drive components. I actually saw this machine when I was a kid as it was'nt far from where I am and remember clearly because it did'nt have any cab .. it was just sitting up in the open. I think these days, the only 41's still going were 2 in Tasmania and that was going back a few years and I fear that most if not all are either in wrecking yards or scrap heaps. a Cutter .. EMD make several versions in 1/50
Cheers Peter
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Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Member
Joined: 9/14/2006
Posts: 151
Location: Coventry/RI
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Hello all, I will consider myself very lucky, because here is an Fiat Allis 41-B which is only minutes from my house. I am told that it is the same machine, just Fiat bought Allis Chalmes out. Enjoy. I can't wait to have this giant in my collection. Jason   
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Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Member
Joined: 1/6/2007
Posts: 1,306
Location: Morenci, AZ
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I've had the opportunity to run a few old AC and Fiat-Allis dozers, and have nothing but respect for them in all areas, except for the blade control. Something in the design of the linkages or lever made them a bit rough on the wrists for doing fine work.
If such a thing existed, I'd be perfectly content with a new one (as long as it was in a D11 size class) out here.
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Rank: Member
Groups: Member
Joined: 12/8/2005
Posts: 34
Location: Karlsruhe, BW, Germany
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Hey bassguy, yes, you'r lucky in my opinion, too - thats a sweet piece of equipment to have in the neighbouhood! Not bad... What do you think, will you catch her working? I would love to see some dark-blue clouds coming throu the stacks.
A friend of mine, he was a D9 operator for many years, told me that he had the opportunity to run a HD 41 for 3 or 4 month. That was in the early 70ies, they had to rip and move some kinda very hard, compacted gravel with glas-like, vulcanic-origin stuff in it. I don't remeber the german geologic term for that, nor do I know the english one. Let's say it was hard like (very brute word here) and they had trouble to handle it with their late, high-horse D9G.
That was the point when they rent the hd-41,they starte with pushing the D9 to concentrate all the tractor ower one the Kelley-ripper and...the ripper shank was torn in two parts. Also the HD 41 had a Kelley ripper, like the one bassguy showed us. Pushing the HD 41 with the D9 worked well.
Another story I caught up once in the internet was about a landclearing job in Australia. The used a D9 and a HD 41 and the famous anchor chain. During operation, the D9 got stucked at a tree stump, but the operator on the HD 41 didn't noticed that and remained travelling forward. With the result of a badly damaged undercarriage of the Cat.
When I remeber correctly, one track carrier was torn apart from the main frame. To avoid such excidents, some land clearing tractors are equipped with "flag poles" and signal coulored flags.
Cheers,
Max
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Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Member
Joined: 10/7/2004
Posts: 1,603
Location: Gypsy
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I liked how you could flip the seat up and climb down inside the frame next to the drive shaft. Good warm place to warm up on a cold day.
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Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Member
Joined: 12/4/2004
Posts: 3,241
Location: Saratoga Springs,NY
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The D8 and the 41 are not even in the same class.In ads I have seen Allis Chalmers advertised that the HD-41 had taken over for 2-385hp crawlers on jobs,implying a pair of Cat D9Gs.When the Cat D10 was introduced 30 years ago this month it could do the work of 2-D9Hs and was almost twice as big.It could do 50% more work then a D9H could at the time.There was a Fiat-Allis 41-B on Causeway Street in 1983 because I have seen pictures of it.
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Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Member
, Moderator
Joined: 8/24/2002
Posts: 4,218
Location: usa
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The 41's and later FD 50's were the big tractor back in those years, lots of mines ran them, some are still around. They did have lots of trouble with final drives, and other driveline parts. They went thru them like candy. The 455 Komatsu came out and whipped the 41's for a while, then Cat came along with the first D-10's. That spelled the doom of the AC and FA big tractors. A D11 makes them look like a toy.
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Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Member
Joined: 10/7/2004
Posts: 1,603
Location: Gypsy
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Also don't forget about their nasty habbit of catching on fire.
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