Friday, October 28, 2016

Best Mfg and Holt Mfg Traction engines


1898 Steam traction engine built by Best Mfg. of San Leandro California.

1906 40 hp Holt engine. built in Stockton Cal. The companies were fierce competitors in the traction engine business but things ground to a halt in the depression of 1920-21. By this time Holt was specializing in tracked vehicles. In 1925 they merged, becoming the Caterpillar Co. 
According to Wikipedia, Caterpillar was the 229th largest company in the world in 2010.

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