LeTourneau Tear Down

[Nige]

With all due respect to the OP, this is without doubt the best way to move a big loader, bar none ........!! This brand-new 994F was moved just over 1200km from the Assembly Yard to the customer in "ready to work" condition.

 

[Paul Six]

picture of a LETOURNEAU L1400 we dismantled in Belgium , we still have parts of this machine

 

[Ross]

Nige: Wor is that? Australia? Best way to ship but it would be a nightmare here. The last big 994H built here came in chunks and was erected In the shop.

Anyhow, never really liked LeT's but Iam on a forum discussing and post pics, what does that make me?

Got a call to this.

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p124/rosspec/Trucks And Shovels/image_zps10b494a5.jpg

Klenz problems. Spent a few blowing the house out and firing off the canons manually (You need a fancy Red button to do that) the machine is just covered head to foot with Coal. I don't mean 'Thomas the tank engine' coal, I mean the real real fine, flour type.

 

[Nige]

Ross, the photo is from Latin America. Loads of desert, no bridges with weight limits, no overhead cables, very little traffic. It made economic sense to assemble everything in one place then lowboy machines to job sites due to the beurocracy involved in getting an assembly crew plus their tools, etc, on & off the mine site that might be over 1000km away from base, getting accommodation for them (never available), getting hold of stuff like cranes and compressors that the customer is contractually obligated to provide for the assembly but are never available. Even the additional cost due to all the delays in getting parts of a machine through the mine gate to the Assembly Site, one time I recall we had lowboys carrying the parts of a 994 sat at the gate of a major BHP property for 48 hours because the passes had the wrong signature on them, then the customer argues because you bill him for the additionals. The list goes on & on............. Also if the machine wad fully assembled in our yard we could run it out the gate into the desert and actually test it before delivering to the customer, so all it needed at the mine site was fuel and an operator. Customers would often come to our Assembly Yard and have their Dispatch systems, radios, & numbers, etc. all done before the machine went on the lowboy for delivery.

Here's a 994D on its way from our Assembly Yard up to BHP Escondida 2005. The reason there are 3 tractors is that it's a 10% grade they are pulling up, even though the photos don't show it.

 

[CDNDIESELMONKEY]

Great Pics! Keep em coming!

 

[Ross]

Ross, the photo is from Latin America. Loads of desert, no bridges with weight limits, no overhead cables, very little traffic. It made economic sense to assemble everything in one place then lowboy machines to job sites due to the beurocracy involved in getting an assembly crew plus their tools, etc, on & off the mine site that might be over 1000km away from base, getting accommodation for them (never available), getting hold of stuff like cranes and compressors that the customer is contractually obligated to provide for the assembly but are never available. Even the additional cost due to all the delays in getting parts of a machine through the mine gate to the Assembly Site, one time I recall we had lowboys carrying the parts of a 994 sat at the gate of a major BHP property for 48 hours because the passes had the wrong signature on them, then the customer argues because you bill him for the additionals. The list goes on & on............. Also if the machine wad fully assembled in our yard we could run it out the gate into the desert and actually test it before delivering to the customer, so all it needed at the mine site was fuel and an operator. Customers would often come to our Assembly Yard and have their Dispatch systems, radios, & numbers, etc. all done before the machine went on the lowboy for delivery.

Here's a 994D on its way from our Assembly Yard up to BHP Escondida 2005. The reason there are 3 tractors is that it's a 10% grade they are pulling up, even though the photos don't show it.

View attachment 127420

You bet Nige and nice pics.

I've encountered similar situations working for Cat in Africa. When they bring machinery to site they would pass through small villages, the company would have to pay the Tribal Chief and the little chief passage rights, Then the police would want a chunk. Then they would want more as its never enough. Thankfully for the mining company's the equipment was smaller (777's) so the pain was less. Still thou stuff would go missing and damage would happen randomly. In the end the company's would drive the trucks from site to site when required.

Escondida eh! Still moving a million a day?

Great Pics! Keep em coming!

Good man.

I arrived on shift this morning "Don't worry about the big LeT, They broken the boom last night"

Erm that's unfortunate. I have pics but don't think I dare post them (I would only link them in this site)

 

[Desertwheeler]

I wish you'd come tear ours down and take them away lol.

 

[Nige]

Escondida eh! Still moving a million a day?

It used to be a million, now it's up to 1.25. And as we always said "despite their management not because of it" .............
A couple of mates of mine are currently working for Bechtel up there on about the 6th expansion (to my knowledge) of the project. AFAIK there are more in the pipeline.

Here's how we moved 793's long distances.

 

[DK88]

 

[kshansen]

DK88, Did the sides of the road look like that before you went through?

 

[CDNDIESELMONKEY]

How they assembled loaders back in the day!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-rVHgOorKM

 

[gladiatore]

nice one grats

 

[clintm]

:scool

 

[kshansen]

How they assembled loaders back in the day!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-rVHgOorKM

The starting part with the 475 brought back many memories, not all good! We had one of those where I work back in the late 60's. When I moved in to the shop in 1971 spent many days fixing leaks on that machine. When we "upgraded" to a Terex 72-81 they moved the 475 from central NY to another plant in Penn. Removed bucket cab and exhaust stacks and drove it over the road all the way. I was not lucky enough to get in on that trip. As I recall it went of without any real problems or crushed cars!