Registration No. 33-59267 Rule 424 (b)(2)
                                     Pricing Supplement No. 055
                                     Dated:  October 28, 1996     

	Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation
	Medium-Term Notes, Series E
	(Floating Rate)
	With Maturities of 9 Months or More from Date of Issue

Principal Amount:       Initial Interest Rate:          Maturity Date:
$50,000,000.                5.42                           10/29/97
                                           
Original Issue Date:    Index Maturity:                 Spread +/-:
10/29/96                  Daily                          -2.83 b.p.

Specified Currency:     Option to Elect Payment       Authorized Denominations
x U.S. dollars          in U.S. dollars               (only applicable if
_ Other:___________     (only applicable if           Specified Currency is
                        Specified Currency is         other than U.S.
The Note is a:          other than U.S. dollars):     dollars):      
  X Global Note         N/A                           N/A
  _ Certificated Note                                           
    (only applicable if
    Specified Currency                                Exchange Rate Agent
    is other than U.S. dollars)                       (if other than Morgan
                                                      Guaranty Trust Company 
                                                      of New York): N/A

                                                      Spread Multiplier: N/A  

Interest Rate Basis or Bases: Prime(H.15)                              
LIBOR Source (only applicable if LIBOR Interest Rate Basis):
   Reuters            Telerate

Maximum Interest Rate:  N/A             Interest Payment Period: Quarterly

Interest Payment Dates: The 29th of each January, April, July, and October.

Minimum Interest Rate: N/A

Interest Rate Reset Option:  _ Yes    x No

Optional Reset Dates (only applicable if option to reset spread or spread 
multiplier): N/A

Basis for Interest Rate Reset (only applicable if option to reset spread or 
spread multiplier): N/A

Minimum Interest Rate:  N/A              Interest Payment Dates:  N/A

Stated Maturity Extension Option:  _ Yes    X No

Extension Period(s) and Final Maturity Date (only applicable if option to 
extend stated maturity):  N/A

Basis for Interest Rate During Extension Period (only applicable if option to 
extend stated maturity):  N/A

Historical Exchange Rate (only applicable if Specified Currency other than 
U.S. dollars):  N/A


Interest Payment Dates: The 29th of each January, April, July, and October. 

Interest Determination Dates: Two business days prior to each reset date.

Calculation Agent (if other than First Trust New York):  N/A

Original Issue Discount Note:  Total Amount of OID: N/A Terms of Amortizing   
     __ Yes    x No                                       Notes: N/A
                               Issue Price (expressed                         
                                 as a percentage of    
                               aggregate principal 
                               amount): 100%
                           
                                                      
Redemption Date(s) (including                      Redemption Price(s): N/A  
any applicable regular or                  
special record dates): N/A  
	                             
Repayment Date(s) (including                       Repayment Price(s):  N/A   
 any applicable regular or
special record dates): N/A
	                             
Other Terms: N/A

     The interest rates on the Notes may be changed by Caterpillar Financial 
Services Corporation from time to time, but any such change will not affect 
the interest rate on any Note ordered prior to the effective date of the 
change.  Prior to the date of this Pricing Supplement, $1320.80MM principal 
amount of the Notes had been sold at interest rates then in effect.



	_________________________________

	Pricing Supplement to Prospectus Supplement dated June 5, 1995
	and Prospectus dated June 5, 1995