Subject: Stolen '92 Caterpillar 416 series2 Backhoe

From: [email-masked] (George E Twaddle )
Date: Sat, 28 Aug 1993 15:45:50 GMT

On Monday August 23 my father's new 4-wheeldrive cat hoe was stolen
in broad daylight from Springdale, South Carolina.  At approximately
8:00 AM, according to witnesses, a white truck/black bed with a yellow
trailer hauled it away (nearly every contractor in South Carolina has a
truck and trailer like this).  The hoe was a 1992 Caterpillar 416
series2 with 4 wheel drive and two in one bucket, serial # O5PC16342
and ID # 55930.  These numbers are stamped on a plate on the front end
boom.  If anyone out there has any info, please Email me or call me or
my father, it would be greatly appreciated.

        George Twaddle [email-masked]  (216)-762-5978
        Ellis Twaddle  (803)-356-1027

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From: [email-masked] (Tricia Schmidt)
Date: 29 Aug 1993 12:33:42 GMT

Dear George, 

I've got bad news and good news:

First the good news:  Caterpillar always requires a serial number
when you order replacement parts for them.  So if it's still in 
the states it will need repairs sooner or later.  Contact your 
Caterpillar dealer and tell him it's run away.

Now the bad news:  Because of this serial number requirement, most
stolen Caterpillars go to Mexico where no one asks any questions.
Catch it at the border?  Well, according to 60 Minutes 8000 to 
10,000 pieces of heavy equipment cross the border every year.  

Good news again?  I hope your father had insurance on it.  The
hard part about keeping heavy equipment is that they all use the
same key.  ie:  Every Caterpillar uses the same Caterpillar key.
All John Deere's will run off the same key too.  It would help
a lot if the manufacturers would put a little money into the 
keying systems.

Good luck!

Tricia