The sales manager at the time, George Bassinett, was ready to put this machine out on the market,at a price of I believe, $180,000 dollars. that the each engine,was brought in by Ford, in special “covered trucks” at night!!!! Once installed in the 6000, they couldn’t run it inside on the test-stand, because it one time….”set the lab roof on fire”, from the exhaust!!!!! Hell, every time they took it to the near-by gravel pit to test it under load conditions….it had to be “towed-back” to the lab, due to “ENGINE-FAILURE!!!!!” When a technician from FORD….asked my DAD about the performance of the “TURBINE” under load conditions….he responded with his….”FAMOUS-PHRASE”….”That Goddamn thing couldn’t push a sick-whore off a piss-pot!!!!!” Forgive me, but that’s a direct-quote. Designed primarily for stationary generator use….it couldn’t stand -up to the constant pounding and jarring, associated with a front-end loader, and was “prone ” to failure!!!! My DAD told me…. The engine, a revolutionary design by the Ford Motor Company….was a gas-turbine configuration. Truth be told….it was a….”engineering nightmare” from the start. Hi Eric, with regard to the…TROJAN model 6000-“TURBINE”….I can tell ya that the….”FIRE-BREATHING-DRAGON”, as it was nick-named….never made it out the experimental lab at Batavia. One thing I can tell ya….in their day….these machines gave Caterpillar….”A RUN FOR THEIR MONEY!!!!!” Bill Hamilton, Tucson, Az. Hard to believe…that the same plant in Batavia….now produces “wicker furniture!!!!” I guess…”nothing lasts forever”. Seeing these machines again…bring back many fond memories for me.

Also…the experimental…6000-“TURBINE”…yes a gas-turbine powered front-end loader….that in my DAD’S own words….”Couldn’t push a sick-whore off a piss-pot”. There was also the T-80, an 8000 converted to a “tow-tractor” to pull the AIR-FORCE, C-5 GALAXY cargo-plane, but it lost out to…OSHKOSH. plant….knew these machines….and how to keep ’em running….better than he did!!!!! We actually lived in Batavia, from 1963 to 68. He was later promoted to…Product Development Manager. It just so happens…that I know a “whole-lot” about these machines!!!! For you see….I literally “grew-up” with them!!!!! My Dad…worked for Trojan, for 15 years, 1963 to 75, and was a “field” service manager.

Trojan loader parts for sale