Restoration Project

The Hungry, Hungry Caterpillars

When people who would not otherwise connect are brought together by a common, ambitious project, great things can be accomplished. One artifact in Heritage Lakewood’s 20th century collection has inspired such results. Visitors of the museum and history park at Heritage Lakewood are aware that in addition to historic buildings, rare farming equipment also peppers the site.

While participating in one of our annual Cider Days’ weekends, a unique item caught the attention of HLBP friend and Front Range Antique Power Association (FRAPA) member, Will James. James shared that FRAPA was in

conversation with the Colorado School of Mines Mechanical and Engineering Department about having students restore a 1926 John Deere Corn Binder as a fi nal capstone project. “Wouldn’t it be cool if this amazing 1930 Model 20 Caterpillar tractor could get renovated back to its original running condition,” James wondered out loud. After conversations with the school’s administration and petitions by several students at the project expo, a team of seniors formed and began calling themselves “The Hungry, Hungry Caterpillars.” According to students Ashley and Evelyn, “This was a good handson project where we could get our hands dirty and see the results.” The students have indeed seen results with the transformation of this Model 20!

The sum of this project’s parts surpasses the complex process of disassembling, cleaning, repairing, and reconstructing this beautiful example of 20th century machinery. The effort was made possible with the help and expertise of many individuals and organizations. Without the efforts of colleagues from FRAPA and the enthusiastic response from the Colorado School of Mines faculty and students, this Model 20 Caterpillar would still be sitting in a tractor shed bay at Heritage Lakewood. James and Rick, from Ace Towing, moved the beast to a more accessible location. Chad, the owner of Antique Crawler Parts and Restoration, contributed time, expertise, and refurbished tractor parts. Heritage Lakewood volunteer Chuck spent several hours preparing and painting original tractor parts for reinstallation. Lakewood Historical Society past president Lyle researched the artifact’s history for use in a future exhibition. Heritage Lakewood Curator Katy provided guidance and oversight to ensure that renovation-related decisions met restoration standards. The result is a newly rehabilitated Model 20 Caterpillar now proudly on display at Heritage Lakewood!