A History of Wheeled Excavators

Oct. 15, 2024
Examples from the early 20th century.

We searched the archives of the Historical Construction Equipment Association for some ancestors of the wheeled excavator.

The original excavators were wheel-mounted—railroad wheels, that is, in the form of half-swing railroad shovels.

Let’s look at where the idea of wheeled mountings went from there in the early 20th century.

About the Author

Tom Berry

Tom Berry is archivist for the Historical Construction Equipment Association (HCEA). Information is available at www.hcea. net, or by calling 419.352.5616 or e-mailing [email protected].