by Nick Drew | Thu 11 Oct 2018
Iconic Cat truck becomes a showpiece
Finning Canada’s Prince George branch were recently involved in the sandblasting, bodywork repairs and painting of one of Caterpillars most iconic dumptrucks the 769.
The classic 1962 Cat 769B truck was donated to the village of Fraser Lake by the local Endako Mine and will now stand as a monumental attraction for the local community and tourists alike.
The 769 was Caterpillar’s first entrant into the Off-Highway truck sector over 50 years ago with the announcement being made on the last day of 1962, December 31st. The all new truck which had been 7 years in development made its first public appearance at the Construction Equipment Expo in Chicago in February the following year.
The 769 was a 35-ton, 23.3-cubic-yard capacity rear dump with a top speed of 41.5 miles per hour. It featured a better payload-to-deadweight ratio, Ackerman steering for improved manoeuvrability and a deck service area to promote easier routine operational maintenance and service. Power was supplied by the Cat's in-house D343 diesel engine which was also used in the 630B and 631B Wheel Tractor-Scrapers.
On May 28, 1963, Caterpillar shipped the first production 769 Off-Highway Truck to Carter Machinery Co. in Salem, Va. Within the first five years, Caterpillar built over 1,200 off-highway trucks.
Checkout this video from Caterpillar which tells the story of 50 years of Off-Highway truck development by the American giant.