GreyC Posted 14 May , 2019 Share Posted 14 May , 2019 (edited) Hi, this photo was taken by a German in France after advancing the front. As it bears the name of its manufacturer HOLT it should be either a type 75 or 120? I´d say a 120? Did they pull certain type of guns? And is the word "Alice" a name put on it by the troops or the manufacturer? Thanks! GreyC Edited 14 May , 2019 by GreyC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Posted 14 May , 2019 Share Posted 14 May , 2019 120 I'd say as it has 6 cylinders. The 120 was a 6 cylinder engine, the 75 was a 4 cylinder. They pulled the big guns & Howitzers, 8" & 9.2" that with their mountings, platforms and so on, required 3 large trailers to tow them around, far too heavy to be pulled around by horses. Alice I guess is an addition by the MT Company drivers or Siege Park personnel rather than the manufacturer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyC Posted 15 May , 2019 Author Share Posted 15 May , 2019 (edited) Good morning! Thank you for your prompt and informed answer. Very helpful. This photo from the Eastern front (Minsk) then seems to show a Holt 75. It is difficult for me to establish the numbers of cylinders though. GreyC Edited 15 May , 2019 by GreyC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Posted 15 May , 2019 Share Posted 15 May , 2019 That looks like a 4 cylinder. You can see on the side of the engine, to the left of the officer's chest, some plates stamped 'Holt'. In fact, they come in pairs, one stamped 'HO' and the second one 'LT'. Each plate corresponds to one cylinder. In the second image you can see there are, (or there is room for) two pairs of plates ,equal to 4 cylinders. The first image has 3 pairs (OK 2 pairs are missing!) equal to 6 cylinders. In fact in that one you can also count the cylinder heads quite clearly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyC Posted 15 May , 2019 Author Share Posted 15 May , 2019 Thanks again! A good way to distinguish between the two. GreyC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Posted 15 May , 2019 Share Posted 15 May , 2019 If you look at pictures on the internet, you will see that this is reflected in the 120 having a much longer engine block than the 75. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyC Posted 15 May , 2019 Author Share Posted 15 May , 2019 (edited) Hi, do you happen to have infos on the Holt 60 which, according to WIKIPEDIA was also used in military service? Thank you! GreyC PS. Yes, comparison of engine block is telling. It´s like the hood length of normal automobiles in the 1910s and 1920s. Edited 15 May , 2019 by GreyC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Posted 15 May , 2019 Share Posted 15 May , 2019 8 minutes ago, GreyC said: do you happen to have infos on the Holt 60 which, according to WIKIPEDIA was also used in military service? Sorry I don't, but I assume it was rated 60hp , which gave it a bit less power output than a Ford Fiesta! In tractor or traction terms, classic old machines like the little grey Ferguson were in the 20-40hp range, David Brown 50-90. 'Small' modern day machines are anything from 150 upwards. Big ones 250+. Earth & rock moving machines 1000-2000!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyC Posted 15 May , 2019 Author Share Posted 15 May , 2019 Thank you for your continued info. Just found a source that seems to be quite well researched: Caterpillar Chronicle : History of the Greatest Earthmovers by Eric C. Orlemann. It also gives data for the Holt 60 which was built in variants and 63 were used in military service. GreyC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerchantOldSalt Posted 15 May , 2019 Share Posted 15 May , 2019 ….and they are still around too, this 75 was at a show at Norwich in May. When they start up it is really something, the noise is interesting! Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Posted 15 May , 2019 Share Posted 15 May , 2019 Thanks MOS, Do you know where this beast lives now? I'm guessing it was part of Paul Rackham's collection from Thetford that was broken up a few years ago? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyC Posted 15 May , 2019 Author Share Posted 15 May , 2019 (edited) Hi, just learned with regard to my Minsk photo in Feldgrau-Forum (WW1) that Holt delivered 80 (20 x 60 hp und 60 x 75 hp) tractors to imperial Russia and later GB delivered some more. Thank you for the contemporary photo of this machine, MOS. GreyC Edited 15 May , 2019 by GreyC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerchantOldSalt Posted 15 May , 2019 Share Posted 15 May , 2019 1 hour ago, Dai Bach y Sowldiwr said: Thanks MOS, Do you know where this beast lives now? I'm guessing it was part of Paul Rackham's collection from Thetford that was broken up a few years ago? You could well be right, it was bought at Auction the previous year and imported from the USA 15 years ago, so the WD paint job may be a bit dubious! However it is a 1917 Holt Tractor for all that. Afraid that is all I know Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dai Bach y Sowldiwr Posted 15 May , 2019 Share Posted 15 May , 2019 If I'd have known, I might have bid for it... https://www.elystandard.co.uk/news/video-rare-tractor-goes-for-150-000-at-norfolk-auction-of-paul-rackham-collection-1-4249035 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyC Posted 15 May , 2019 Author Share Posted 15 May , 2019 Here is a Holt 75 that sold for over $300,000 in 2017: GreyC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War Truck Posted 17 May , 2019 Share Posted 17 May , 2019 Super photo of Alice. Quite a lot of damage to it (including missing rad) do you think that was shellfire or sabotage before being abandoned. The Holt is ponderously slow. Here is a clip of me racing one in a 1918 Liberty B The dark green Holt was imported from the States and restored by Ron Harris but it sold last year. I see in the background is an American built Twin city 40hp tractor which were also used by the US Engineers during the war. Probably a rarer beast than the Holt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyC Posted 18 May , 2019 Author Share Posted 18 May , 2019 (edited) Hi thank you for your comment and this nice bit of video. Reminds me of my army days, when we had an ambulance that drove 40mph max. Imagine the puzzled look on all the drivers´ faces of the cars passing us on our way to the hospital with sirens on and the lights flashing.... Can´t answer your question w regard to the damage on Alice, I am afraid. GreyC Edited 18 May , 2019 by GreyC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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