Earthmoving Legacy Center

Earthmoving Legacy Center The Earthmoving Legacy Center is a 38,000 square foot facility to showcase the rich history of earthmoving.

08/28/2026

“The smoothest running engine I think Caterpillar ever built.”

That’s how former Caterpillar engineer Jim Coles remembers the D318.

Found in machines including the Cat D6, No. 18 Motor Grader, and 977 Track Loader, the D318 was remarkably smooth.

Jim’s test? You could put a teacup on top of it and it wouldn’t bounce off.

08/20/2026

From 83 horsepower to 315. Same basic engine design. 🤯

Caterpillar introduced this 5.75-inch bore six-cylinder design in the early 1930s — and variations of it stayed in production all the way to 1981.

Jim Coles explains how an engine configuration that started around 83 HP eventually powered a D8K at 315 HP.

Nearly 50 years of development packed into one basic design.

🛒 https://www.earthmovinglegacy.com/shop

5,000 followers on Instagram! 🎉That’s 5,000 people following along for the restorations, the startups, the stories, and ...
08/17/2026

5,000 followers on Instagram! 🎉

That’s 5,000 people following along for the restorations, the startups, the stories, and the machines that helped shape the earth.

Thank you for being part of the journey and helping us keep this history alive.

**5,000 strong on Instagram. We’re just getting started.**

🛒 Gift Shop: https://www.earthmovinglegacy.com/shop

08/11/2026

Why was Caterpillar so hard for its competitors to beat?

Former Cat engineer Jim Coles points to one major advantage: Caterpillar built its own components and engineered them to work together.

Meanwhile, competitors were combining engines, transmissions, axles, hydraulics and other components from multiple manufacturers — and hoping everything played nice.

🎥 Watch the full Jim Coles video on our YouTube channel. https://youtu.be/ngYPw7cbIqQ

🛒 Shop the Earthmoving Legacy Center:https://www.earthmovinglegacy.com/shop

08/10/2026

Ever wonder why an inline-6 can run so much smoother than a 4-cylinder?

Jim Coles explains the engineering behind engine balance — and how Caterpillar overcame the problem with counter-rotating balancers in engines like the D8800 and D339.

Another little piece of engineering that helped make these machines what they were.

▶️ Watch the full Jim Coles video on our YouTube channel -> https://youtu.be/4tKUEg-hi7s

08/08/2026

“Nobody ran engineering at the level that Caterpillar did.”

Former Caterpillar engineer Jim Coles explains what he believes was the real secret behind Caterpillar’s product design success: vertical integration.

It wasn’t one great engine, transmission, or hydraulic system. It was designing every component to work together as one complete machine.

🎥 Watch the full Part 2 conversation with Jim on our YouTube channel. Link in bio.

Part 2 with former Caterpillar engineer Jim Coles is LIVE.This time, Jim goes deeper into the engineering philosophy beh...
08/07/2026

Part 2 with former Caterpillar engineer Jim Coles is LIVE.

This time, Jim goes deeper into the engineering philosophy behind Caterpillar — why machines were designed the way they were, how decisions were made, and the thinking that helped build CAT’s reputation for equipment that could take a beating and keep working.

If you enjoyed Part 1, you’re going to want to hear the rest of this conversation.

▶️ Watch Part 2 now on YouTube - Link in bio.

08/06/2026

When we released our candle commercial, a lot of people asked the same question:

How did we get Craig and Steve to agree to this?

During the shoot, we handed a camera to our summer intern, Jonah Wille, and let him document the day from behind the scenes.

Enjoy watching the process of Craig and Steve's acting debut :)

150,000+ people watched Part 1.But Jim Coles wasn't finished.Tomorrow night, the former Caterpillar engineer returns for...
08/06/2026

150,000+ people watched Part 1.
But Jim Coles wasn't finished.

Tomorrow night, the former Caterpillar engineer returns for Part 2 as the conversation dives even deeper into the engineering philosophy that shaped some of the most legendary machines ever built.

If you thought Part 1 was fascinating, just wait until you hear what comes next.

📅 Premieres tomorrow at 6:00 PM CT on YouTube.
🔗 Subscribe now so you don't miss it. Link in bio.

08/04/2026

This was Caterpillar’s engine-design revolution.

Former Caterpillar engineer Jim Coles explains how the new high-BMEP engines combined twin overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder, turbocharging, aftercooling, and wastegating.

The result? Up to 500 horsepower from a 20-liter engine.

Watch Jim’s complete engine crash course on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tKUEg-hi7s

YouTube channel linked in our bio.

Address

24412 IA 13
Elkader, IA
52043

Opening Hours

Tuesday 9am - 4pm
Wednesday 9am - 4pm
Thursday 9am - 4pm
Friday 9am - 4pm
Saturday 9am - 4pm

Telephone

+15632451440

Website

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