Mountaintop Cat Adds To Collection

2021 - Volume #45, Issue #6, Page #39

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Doug Veerkamp started the family collection of antique Cats with a Best 30. Matt, his son, was only 7 or 8 at the time, but he got the bug. He started adding to the family collection as a teenager, and 15 years later, he hasn’t slowed down.
“I’ve found Cat tractors all over the country,” says Matt Veerkamp. “We even helicoptered a Best 25 off a mountaintop.”
Currently the Veerkamps have around 125 Cat tractors in the collection. Of those, about 40 are restored to showroom condition. Another 30 are in running condition.
“We also have some old D7s from the 1950’s and 1960’s that we use for work around the ranch,” says Matt.
When not collecting tractors, Matt works with his dad at Doug Veerkamp General Engineering, a leading construction company in the counties around Sacramento, Calif.
“Between the construction business and my family, I don’t have much time to drive tractors in the collection,” admits Matt. “However, every two years, we have a get-together at the shop where the public can come in to see the collection. The next one will be in May of 2022.”
Veerkamp does have some favorites, like the Best 25, as well as his one-of-a-kind, Caterpillar 20 with serial number EXP 0000-L (Vol. 45, No. 4).
One of his favorites is also the most dangerous. “The Holt 75 is special,” says Matt. “It was used in World War I and in California for farming. All the moving parts are external - the gears, differential, all of it. It is very dangerous.”
When the Veerkamps restore a tractor, the job starts with research, gathering all available information. The actual restoration often involves fabricating worn parts impossible to replace, as well as those that are missing.
“We are very detail oriented and like things a certain way,” he says. “We don’t like shoddy work in the construction we do or in our collection.”
While Matt has a story for every Cat in the collection, the mountaintop rescue is one of the best. He documented it fully in issue 114 of the Antique Caterpillar Machinery Owners Club, and it has been republished in other magazines since.
It started with an early morning phone call from a fellow club member about a post on the club website. An old crawler tractor had been seen at an abandoned mine atop a mountain.
The tractor turned out to be a 1919 Best 25. Matt’s wife found the site by searching Google Earth. He discovered who owned the site and got their permission to remove the tractor, promising he wouldn’t impact the area. A Vietnam era Huey helicopter was brought in to take the crawler out, engine first and tractor second.
A 415-mile trailer ride later and the Best 25 was home in Placerville, Calif. Surprisingly, the transmission, differential and undercarriage were all in working condition. The motor was stuck, and a radiator and some other parts were missing.
“About 90 percent of the tractor was there,” says Matt.
He is sharing the family passion with three young children. “When they are in the middle of it, they think it’s normal,” says Matt. “I do keep a close eye on them when the Holt 75 is running.”
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Matt Veerkamp, Doug Veerkamp General Engineering, 2585 Cold Springs Rd., Placerville, Calif. 95667 (ph 530-676-0825; matt.veerkamp@dougveerkamp.com).

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Mountaintop Cat Adds To Collection MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT Earth Movers Doug Veerkamp started the family collection of antique Cats with a Best 30 Matt his son was only 7 or 8 at the time but he got the bug He started adding to the family collection as a teenager and 15 years later he hasn’t slowed down “I’ve found Cat tractors all over the country ” says Matt Veerkamp “We even helicoptered a Best 25 off a mountaintop ” Currently the Veerkamps have around 125 Cat tractors in the collection Of those about 40 are restored to showroom condition Another 30 are in running condition “We also have some old D7s from the 1950’s and 1960’s that we use for work around the ranch ” says Matt When not collecting tractors Matt works with his dad at Doug Veerkamp General Engineering a leading construction company in the counties around Sacramento Calif “Between the construction business and my family I don’t have much time to drive tractors in the collection ” admits Matt “However every two years we have a get-together at the shop where the public can come in to see the collection The next one will be in May of 2022 ” Veerkamp does have some favorites like the Best 25 as well as his one-of-a-kind Caterpillar 20 with serial number EXP 0000-L Vol 45 No 4 One of his favorites is also the most dangerous “The Holt 75 is special ” says Matt “It was used in World War I and in California for farming All the moving parts are external - the gears differential all of it It is very dangerous ” When the Veerkamps restore a tractor the job starts with research gathering all available information The actual restoration often involves fabricating worn parts impossible to replace as well as those that are missing “We are very detail oriented and like things a certain way ” he says “We don’t like shoddy work in the construction we do or in our collection ” While Matt has a story for every Cat in the collection the mountaintop rescue is one of the best He documented it fully in issue 114 of the Antique Caterpillar Machinery Owners Club and it has been republished in other magazines since It started with an early morning phone call from a fellow club member about a post on the club website An old crawler tractor had been seen at an abandoned mine atop a mountain The tractor turned out to be a 1919 Best 25 Matt’s wife found the site by searching Google Earth He discovered who owned the site and got their permission to remove the tractor promising he wouldn’t impact the area A Vietnam era Huey helicopter was brought in to take the crawler out engine first and tractor second A 415-mile trailer ride later and the Best 25 was home in Placerville Calif Surprisingly the transmission differential and undercarriage were all in working condition The motor was stuck and a radiator and some other parts were missing “About 90 percent of the tractor was there ” says Matt He is sharing the family passion with three young children “When they are in the middle of it they think it’s normal ” says Matt “I do keep a close eye on them when the Holt 75 is running ” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Matt Veerkamp Doug Veerkamp General Engineering 2585 Cold Springs Rd Placerville Calif 95667 ph 530-676-0825; matt veerkamp@dougveerkamp com

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