The USA is considered the home of modern earthmoving, with this legacy kept alive at a centre devoted to preserving the stories, machines, and pioneering spirit that shaped the industry into what it is today. Scott Lidster of Australian Earth Training provided this account of his visit to the iconic site.
The Earthmoving Legacy Center (ELC) is a 38,000 square foot facility dedicated to showcasing the rich history of earthmoving equipment. The collection traces the evolution of the industry from the 1880s through to the 1940s, with a focus on the roots and development of manufacturer Caterpillar.
The idea came from prominent heavy industry figure John Moyna wanting to share his private collection with others – whether they were machinery tragics, history buffs, or school kids curious about how the industry was built.
Along the way, the project brought together contributions from other collectors, helping create one of the best displays of early track-type tractors you’re likely to see anywhere, with machinery from the Holt Manufacturing Company, C.L. Best Tractor Company, and Caterpillar.
Inside, you’ll find around 50 pieces of equipment on display, ranging from horse-drawn earthmoving gear through to machines from the 1940s era. It’s not a museum full of old iron either – it’s a look back at the innovation, grit and people that helped shape the earthmoving industry into what it is today.
The first time I heard about the ELC was a few years ago when a couple of mates organised a trip over to the US. They had all sorts of experiences on the hit list – the Onaway Speedway truck rodeo, private earthmoving collections, and plenty of other machinery-related chaos.
As fate would have it, one of the boys had a Facebook post pop up on his phone a couple of days before they flew out. It was about the ELC in Elkader, Iowa. The boys decided to add it to the itinerary.
What came from that visit wasn’t a walk through some phenomenal earthmoving history. They also met many of the key people who helped build the place, including John Moyna himself, of Mobile Track Solutions and CJ Moyna & Sons fame.
From there, the boys were invited back for the 100 Years of Caterpillar celebrations held in Elkader – an event driven by the ELC, backed by Mobile Track Solutions, and the earthmoving community. The photos from that event dominated the internet and honestly, they still do.
That’s how the ELC first landed on my radar. Fast forward to 2026 and I’d made the call to head over to CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2026 in Las Vegas. Once the trip was locked in, adding a road trip north to Iowa became non-negotiable.
I reached out to a good mate of mine, Ben Horstmann from Consolidated Plant Services, to see if he wanted to jump in on the trip. Benny’s right into his old tractors, so it was a pretty easy sell. Game on.
Our trip started in Los Angeles before we made our way across to Las Vegas, where we spent five days taking in most of what CONEXPO had to offer. The days were long, the nights were even longer, and by the end of it, our livers were looking for the first bus out of town.
From Vegas, we pointed the hire car north and started the 2500-kilometre drive to Elkader.
We stretched the trip across three days, travelling through some absolutely mind-blowing parts of the US: Northern Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Nebraska, and eventually Iowa. The first day and a half of driving delivered some of the best scenery I’ve ever seen. Proper breathtaking stuff.
Elkader itself is this quaint little Midwestern country town with the Turkey River running through the centre, and an old sandstone bridge linking both sides together.
When the sun dropped, the whole place changed character. Strings of lights zig-zagged across the main street and flickered to life. What felt dead quiet during the day suddenly looked like something straight out of a movie. You half expected an old pickup truck to roll through town with someone in boots and a cowboy hat stepping out.
Before heading over to the States, I’d reached out to C.J. Moyna Vice President Justin Augustyn to see if Benny and I could visit the ELC. Justin linked me up with Executive Director Ross Kurth and we arranged to meet at 9am on a Monday morning.
Benny and I were pretty amped, so we got up early and went for a cruise around Elkader beforehand to get a better feel for the area.
Not even two kilometres from town, we stumbled across the headquarters of Mobile Track Solutions. This is where all of the company’s ideas – high-horsepower tractors, scraper pans and specialised support equipment – come to life.
As cool as the sheds were, our attention immediately got dragged toward a couple of machines glowing out the front of one of the buildings. The ELC’s famous 666 and 660 scrapers were parked there holding court.
Photos don’t do these things justice. You need to see them in person to appreciate the level of restoration work that’s gone into them. The paintwork alone looked like mirror-finish show-car material. We spent a good 20 minutes frothing over those machines before realising we’d better keep moving or we were going to be late.
Then, as we rounded another corner, there it was. Parked out in a paddock near where the 100 Years of Caterpillar event had been held only months earlier, sat a Double D9 dozer. Yep. A Double D9! That thing deserves an article of its own.
Eventually, we made our way to the ELC and walked through the doors to be greeted by two stunning pieces of old iron, one each from Holt and Best. Straight away it set the tone for what we were about to experience.
Ross appeared soon after and introduced himself. He’s one of the nicest blokes you could hope to meet, and the depth of his knowledge on the machines inside the ELC was something else entirely. He took Benny and me on a personal tour through the entire facility. And honestly, there was a lot to take in.
Rather than trying to cover every single machine, I’ll focus on a few pieces that really grabbed my attention.
One was a beautifully restored 1923 Best 60 tractor, serial number 2256. A 65-horsepower machine that originally cost $5750, with only 2446 built. John Moyna personally completed the restoration, even manufacturing custom composite track pucks so the machine could be driven on hard surfaces without causing damage. It had previously been displayed at CONEXPO at the Mobile Track Solutions booth and seeing it up close was pretty special.
Another standout was a 1931 LeTourneau lowboy scraper, serial number 52. Only 42 of these units were made. It carried around eight cubic yards and was built in Stockton, California. Interestingly, it was the last year these machines ran steel wheels before pneumatic tyres became the norm the following year.
Then there was the 1931 Caterpillar Diesel 65, serial number 1C97. Only 143 were produced. This machine introduced Caterpillar’s D9900 four-cylinder diesel engine, nicknamed “Old Bestie”. It featured a 6⅛ x 9¼-inch bore and stroke, with 70 drawbar horsepower and 84 belt horsepower. Standing next to it, you gain an appreciation for just how revolutionary these machines were for their time.
Ross later took us through the workshop where we met Craig and Steve, two of the craftsmen responsible for many of the ELC restorations. Ross pointed out all the bolt heads on their rebuilds are lined up perfectly level with each other. Sounds simple, but once you notice it, you can’t unsee it. It’s that level of pride and craftsmanship that separates the work from simply repainting old machinery.
Out the back of the workshop sat several acres of machines waiting for their turn at restoration.
Some were rare production units, others were prototypes developed by John for his own contracting business over the years.
Walking through those rows of old iron was every bit as cool as the museum itself.
The reality is there’s far too much to squeeze into a two-page article. The ELC isn’t just somewhere you visit to look at old machines. It’s a place that preserves the stories, innovation, and personalities that helped build the earthmoving industry we know today.
Ben and I would like to thank Justin Augustyn, Ross Kurth, and everyone else we met for their Midwest hospitality during our visit to the Earthmoving Legacy Centre. It was an experience we won’t forget anytime soon.
Scott Lidster
Australian Earth Training
scott@australianearthtraining.com.au
www.australianearthtraining.com.au
