From Australia

[Martin]

This is what happens when you dig up a gas main.The machine was wrecked and they couldnt put it completely out untill they turned off the gas about 2 hrs later.

[Steve Frazier]

I think we posted one here a while ago that happened in Connecticut, that machine was lost too. I can't figure out why they would install gas lines so close to the surface like that.

[milling_drum]

They may have severed the gas line when they ran over a valve, usually the actual line itself is at least 18 inches down. That thing would have probably come up off the ground and landed who knows where if they had cut right through the line.

[krisjanik01]

downer cowboys. hahaha good blokes to work with but .

[krisjanik01]

also it was no gas line it was a fuel ine burst

[milling_drum]

In Naples FL. (USA) I was sent to mill a turn lane due to the asphalt heaving after all small flood because of heavy rain in 2002. The machine was a CMI PR525, good shape too.

I start on the high side of the turn lane, as I'm comming past the concrete triangle which separates mainline from the turn lane I see cars out in the open road swerving to avoid one another. I look at the traffic lights and they are completely off....I had run over the power line to the traffic control indicator...

What it was doing at less than 3 inches below the finished mat, I have no idea but you can bet there was plenty of screaming going on...

I'm inclined to believe the pics above show a fuel line came apart on the machine....theres another thread here of an Excavator that hit a gas line while digging a farmers field, the write up says the machine and operator were never found and that the blast area was nearly 2 miles across.

[krisjanik01]

woah !. just the other day they hit a main water line made quite a mess of the job.

[lowey]

where in australia did it happen

[bigrus]

where in australia did it happen

Probably Melbourne :rolleyes: :D

[surfer-joe]

Some years ago, a contractor digging alongside I-70 just east of Denver hit a high pressure 36" gas line and it exploded. Killed several people and burnt the closest machines to a crisp.

Bad situation whether the fire is from an external source or on board.

[redline]

HAHAHAHA downer sucks

[andoman]

I was working with specialties in fort wayne, in about 8 or so years ago on I-69 when they hit a high pressure gas main :eek: while lime stabilizing the subgrade. The gas company installed the new line 4 inches below the final subgrade elevation even though they had stakes :beatsme . Amazingly enough the operator jumped from the writgen and lived, I'll see if I can dig up the pictures.

[andoman]

I was working with specialties in fort wayne, in about 8 or so years ago on I-69 when they hit a high pressure gas main :eek: while lime stabilizing the subgrade. The gas company installed the new line 4 inches below the final subgrade elevation even though they had stakes :beatsme . Amazingly enough the operator jumped from the writgen and lived, I'll see if I can dig up the pictures.


Oh I'll add that it was a new writgen with enclosed cab (a/c and the works) and had about 300 hours on it :crying

[milling_drum]

Dude that would be priceless to see, I've NEVER even heard of an enclosed cab here in America....musta been when Wirtgen was first showing off the enclosed cab concept over here. In Europe theres many of them.

Have you looked at that other thread where the news says that reclaimer hit a gas main? Looks more like a fuel leak like this set of pictures above.