Mining laydown area Borneo

[DoosanFan]

You said it, at one time. Look, I know a good few well looked after mercs of that vintage that still do well for themselves, but those Zalawis have really seen better days.

Mercs I know of haul timber, and do they not handle the abuse so well anymore, they just start falling apart, and start running hard. Currently the big trend is towards 'SMART' trucks, they are 'performance based standards' trucks, they were being built on merc 6x4s, but the so called 'second generation' is being built on Scania R500 8x4's, pretty cool sight they are, GCM of 67 tonnes, truck and trailer that is, but just a little bit of rain, and they stand.

Third world has its perks when trying to find operators and drivers, that is for sure. Its lovely when one tractor driver gets drunk one night at the compound tavern, tells all his friends he can operate all the machines... Next thing you know the grapple loader, in this case a Bell HD820E excavator w/grapple has been started with a postbox key, driven over a THU, and the road roller left over the weekend by the road building crew has been placed on the adjacent school house. Luckily the security guard nearby woke up and called the contractor whose machine it was, needless to say the offender spent the rest of his night sobering up in jail.

THU is a temporary housing unit, just a container with an aircon unit used to house operators and labourers.

 

[Sumner]

Nice pictures, pretty interesting! Thanks!

 

[D6 Merv]

Looked just like the laydown at ok tedi mining in PNG back in the late 80s
Nothing much has changed or improved. I remember they got 6 D455 dozers new in 87. 3 years later only 1 or 2 were still going, 1 were lost ? landslide etc and 3 cannibilised.
your right about transport to remove them. Maybe still there; just need alot bigger yard.
Did bougainville ever start again zed ?

 

[Nige]

Bouganville is still abandoned AFAIK. I saw some photos a few years ago of what was left of the workshops and machinery lying around everywhere. Sad.

 

[alaskaforby4]

Cool pictures, thanks!

 

[alco]

They sure are neat pics. I'd love to wander aimlessly around in one of those laydowns sometime.

Bougainville is not going as of right now, however, they are trying to reach an agreement that would allow the mine to reopen. Of course, it would need completely new infrastructure and equipment.

 

[Ross]

Looks interesting. Similar lays own bone yards here.

Don't know about backward country's being the best. Should maybe try some decent forward places first. Won't ever get me back to places life Africa. Don't be silly

 

[Zed]

Agreed there, though I've never worked in Africa, worked with plenty of guys who have and they all say they'd never go back. Most have nasty tales of malaria, and the usual gun - totin - natives stories... Not worth getting shot at for a tank of Diesel.
Alco I spent half an hour walking aimlessly around there, most of the time thinkng "I wish I could get half this crap home!"

 

[rare ss]

great pics, the gear looks fairly straight? would love a 992C sitting out the back to look at

 

[Extractorfan]

All that old equipment would not be lying there for long if it was in the UK - scrap prices high were up to £200-00 per tonne