Final Word
FINAL WORD
by Tom Jackson
ANTIQUE
A military
mystery
A
In addition to his ABM 51, Mike Rohleder (far right) has also
restored a Euclid S-7 scraper, a Caterpillar #212 single drive
grader and a Little Giant Combo 12 hydraulic excavator.
The Seabee logo (above, left) pays homage to Rohleder’s
service in the navy. The front of the ABM 51 (top, center) is
a 1943 GMC 6x6 deuce and a half powered by a 6-cylinder
Leroy C140 gas engine.
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EquipmentWorld.com
ccording to owner Mike
Rohleder of Ferdinand,
Indiana, this may be the
only 1951 Schield Bantam ABM 51
military pull shovel in existence.
Rohleder acquired the machine 10
years ago and put it to work this
summer at the Historical Construction Equipment Association’s annual
convention.
This cable-actuated digger was
built for airborne military operations in Schield Bantam’s Waverly,
Iowa plant. The sand-filled counterweight could be drained for transportation in cargo planes during
the Korean War. Rohleder repainted
the ABM 51 its original olive drab
and restored it to operating condition with some welding, new cables
and clutch and brake bands purchased from crane supply sources.
An operator who has worked with
heavy equipment for some 40 years,
Rohleder runs a side business,
Moonlight Excavating, with his sons
Andy and Luke, to help fund their
passion for antique iron.
Rohleder is not sure if Shield Bantam ever developed the ABM 51 past
the prototype stage and he’s still trying to solve this mystery. If you know
anything more about the ABM 51
he’d like to hear from you. You can
call him at (812) 630-2544 or email us
at tjackson@randallreilly.com.
If you’re interested in learning
more about vintage machines, the
HCEA will have its 25th annual convention September 14-16 in Bowling Green, Ohio. To find out more
go to hcea.net. EW