A wonderful, complicated, and intriguing toy. Fritz Doepke reported that the company spent $50,000 developing the prototype.
Introduced in 1946 and offered through 1950, the Bucket Loader underwent numerous changes throughout its production run. There are four basic versions.
The examples shown below illustrate many of the variations that occurred over time.
Version #1 – 1946
One view of the first 1946 Barber-Greene Bucket Loader.
Another view of the first-version loader from the 1946 production year.
Commonly referred to as the “Swivel Chute,” this first-version toy used a wheel, string, and pulley system to move the discharge chute from side to side.
The white waxed string passed through a small hole drilled in the wheel shaft, which frequently broke at this weakened point.
Another feature found only on Version #1 bucket loaders was this spring-loaded chain tensioner.
The tension arm for the tracks was also spring-loaded on Version #1 toys.
The bucket tower lift arms were riveted to the wheel shaft flange.
Version #2 – 1947
One view of the 1947 second-version Barber-Greene loader.
The swivel chute feature was soon dropped, most likely due to complaints that the swivel control wheel shaft broke very easily.
The forward wheel, used to tilt the bucket tower forward for transport, remained on the left side for 1947.
Note that the tower lift arms are connected by a shaft in place of the rivets used in 1946.
The spring-loaded track tension arm used in 1946 was omitted in favor of an arm that was simply spot-welded in place.
The spring-loaded chain tensioner was also omitted for 1947. The hole for the chain tensioner shaft was never eliminated on later production models.