Historic NZ Earthmoving Projects

[EDGLimited]

Yair . . . EDGLimited. I have seen that picture before somewhere and I believe it was in connection with a coalmine, could that be right?

As you say it's a helluva line up of gear . . . and just look at the dear old Landy's!

Cheers

Yeah you might be right Scrub. That rings a bell, Huntley Coal Mine comes to mind for some reason. I got a pic somewhere of droopy Prince Charles (about 28yrs) in a MOW landy taken at Twizel way back when Moses played fullback for the Romans.

 

[terexkerry]

Yeah you might be right Scrub. That rings a bell, Huntley Coal Mine comes to mind for some reason. I got a pic somewhere of droopy Prince Charles (about 28yrs) in a MOW landy taken at Twizel way back when Moses played fullback for the Romans.

That is Stevies gear at Kopuka,Kerry

 

[EDGLimited]

That is Stevies gear at Kopuka,Kerry

Bang on Kerry, Kopuka is the name not Huntley. Apparently all the gear in that pic belongs to Stevies. Didn't know they had that much.

 

[D6 Merv]

Kopuku boys, scrapers are DW20s and 21s at the time kopuku was the largest earthmoving project in the southern hemisphere, stevies moved something like almost 100 million yards of fireclay to get to the coal.
is a huge lake at the mo, but they are pumping it out and rumor mill is it may go again.
Doubt if we will see; or hear :notworthy anymore 1693 powered DW20s tho

 

[R.D.G013]

There is a book out which I have a copy of called Kopuku which has lots of pics and the history of the kopuku job as well as the serial numbers of all the machines that were used there and some of the blokes who worked there. Well worth getting a hold of, cant remember where I got it but GGH might have some info as to wether it is still available. Cheers RDG.

 

[glenlunberg]

Great information guys. I've enjoyed reading this thread. :drinkup

 

[Kiwi Craig]

I was at Twizel for about 10 months 1976/77. Worked for Doug Hood on his D8K mostly on Tekapo Canal Camp 5 and 6. Some of the names I can remember were Bondy, who was tempory boss for Hoods until John Cairns came from Goughs to take over. Cant remember the guys full names, there was Matey, drove a D9G, Big Bob drove the 16G grader, Ding
(surname Bell, get it?) on the 16 grader, Ebe drove one of the S24s, Smithy on another 24. Got on well with **** McBride of single handed round the world yacht race fame. He was a great guy, at 3.00am when we finished a night shift, pointing out all the stars in the Southern sky including at times the Southern Aurora. Used to give him a hand on Sundays when he was building that steel yacht used in the race. Of course we worked with most of the guys from the other contractors, Burnetts, Green & McCargill, Earthmovers Waikato to name a few. They had open days for the public once a year, would shift a heap of gear into one area, dozers scrapers etc and the public could see them working. They had scraper tyre changing competitions, which was a laugh, but some guys took it very seriously !!

 

[EDGLimited]

*NEWS FLASH* This Will Shock You.!!!!!!!!!

Hey guys, haven't been on for awhile, been a bit busy. With regards to Tekapo, Ohau A and B, have just learnt from an old cobber today, who lived and worked at Twizel, when they were closing down and moving out, a lot of the equipment was abandoned and left. This included scrapers, dozers, rollers, brooms shovels etc. MOW dug huge holes and buried the lot. This ol cobber was one of the guys responsible for the big funeral. And he has pics......farkyeh. Stay tuned...

 

[willd8r]

Hi
I spent time in Twizel with Doug Hood drove D8H at Tekapo canal with Higgins scrapers, Duncan on their D9 stripping for the canal, then Pukaki dam then got then got Hoods first D8K with **** Mcbride I lived in a house on the shores of Pukaki with big Bob then on the new 16g. Zac, Andy, Bondy ,Max Rye,John Lincoln his mate the white Maori Phil King, Ding Bell,John Roland on a S24, some of the ones I remenber some more will come one day.**** was designing boats when last saw him.We had to move out of house cause of the lake was rising and I couldn't stand the camp and left. I have a few photos but I am in Australia at the moment.They were great days compared with the crap nowdays **** was just starting to build City of Dunedin then

 

[Reubs]

Hell!... someone should go down there and try digging all that gear up!!

 

[Showpony]

theres a dump at benmore the top is strewn with old grouser bolts, track pins you name it, over the side is where you can see rust coming out of the ground. It would be interesting.

 

[RayC]

Maraetai Dam

Heres a new subject...Maraetai Dam ...another major earthmoving project in the early 60's. A photo from Contracting and Construction Magazine - Jan 60

 

[Reubs]

Nice pic RayC keep em coming

 

[Kiwi53]

Just found this forum and suspect there are a few guys in here I know but are hidden under your Avatar and forum name. I grew up on the Otematata Twizel projects, worked with Uncle MOW, Bill Butson and Earthmovers. Took off for Oz in 81, PNG in 88, Chile in 95 and forgot to go home. I have my own rebuild business here in Chile. D1Rs and T's. 777B through F's. 854G's and K's. Plus what ever else the industry throws at me to rebuild. I have a good few old photos from the Benmore, Aviemore, Twizel day sbut if anyone wants to see them en mass then go take a look here.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/113162022035760/

Great bunch of old mates hang out there and some photos that are irreplaceable.

Looking forward to seeing who's faces are behind some of these posts. I know we know each other, at least some of you.

Allan J Main. Antofagasta Chile.

 

[D6 Merv]

Some good pics in there Allan. Was interested in the one of the benmore coffer dam where the D8H sank on its side.
Have seen a different shot of them doing the coffer dam clearly showing 3 D8Hs plus a 4th on the opposite river bank, all with drawbars and front cable controls and 8A blades. [Stuck tractor looks like one of them.] plus 2 D9Es one with drawbar and cable angle blade and other one with rippers [cant see blade]
In your pics someone thought one D9E belong to 'evans' a TC 50A model. afaik only one of these was ever sold in nz, MOW bought 3 DD 49A models and one or 2 PS 34A models, any ideas whos all the dozers were ??? D8Hs must have all been fairly new and wondered if they all must have been MOW dozers too. be interesting to see any other pics of them. Ones I saw where taken at point where river was finally dammed.

 

[Kiwi53]

Gidday Merv,

You have a ton of questions there and I need to do some hunting to get at least a few answers. The D8's I think would have been 2U's in that era and the D9E's were either the first models with the stick shift transmission and a conventional clutch. I do remember one that had the diesel converter in it however so not entirely sure on serial numbers or models. I was a fluffy bummed 16 year old when I started work at Otematata so the matter between the ears was not to interested in remembering stuff like that. There were too many other distractions at that stage in life. Merv I can recall your name, not your face but seem to have some distant memory of boats associated with you. Am I on the right track mate or way out left??

 

[D6 Merv]

Hi Alan, D8s are most definetly Hs and am pretty sure 46As as very few DD 36As and only 3 35A TC units came here. Used to work for granny gough in a previous life so do know abit about dozers. The D9Es 49As were gear drive with only 4 sold [mow had 3, Wilkins and davies the other] the one and only 50A torque converter drive was originally 'valley contractors' ??? I think, that has to be one of the 9s. and a few other powershift 34A D9Es in nz [works only had one]
As for me, your name rings no bells in my lost mind; I was never in the south island, but did work on some boats [cat engines] in ak, whangarei, and coro peninsula. plus am only v early 50s. Knew 3 guys from goughs who were in twizel, Owen Neal, John van pomeran, and Bernie coxhead [partsman for ggh] this guy knew part nos for final drives on 8s and 9s like the lines on his hands, and was a great guy to have a beer with :drinkup

 

[Reubs]

Gidday Allan, I am the same guy thats restoring the Ex mow Galion grader that was posted on the facebook page a few months ago. You should find this thread an Interesting resource of photos as there are a fair few of them on here, As a member of the Facebook group I recommend other HEF members to check It out to as there are some interesting pics on there.

 

[D6 Merv]

Dozer closest to camera pushing out fill is a D9E; can see the dual air cleaners, other one with drawbar and A blade looks like a 9 too. And see one of the original posters saying he thinks its that 50A model.

 

[Kiwi43]

The 495's suffered major head cracking and IH supplied a factory mod with intercooler and larger radiators. 10 were given major overhauls for the Upper Waitaki PD and fitted with the 817B engine

Hello RayC
Would be keen to know where you tracked down Contracting and Construction mags from? - they are a bit like Rocking horse s_ _ _
I subscribed to Road Transport and Contracting from mid 1966 on and have obtained a few C&C on Trademe and Ebay but very hard to come by.
I have photos of 495s and the 295s that finally replaced them from my working days at Twizel - its just a matter of digging through boxes to find them.
Its a long time ago and I do not remember how many of the 495s of the original 15 were left at that stage 1973/74.
I think Baker Construction ended up with some after the MOW sold them off.