Old mining machines you still miss

[Alan]

You know that nostalgic feeling when you recall that old mining rig that never seemed to back down? It might have had its moments, but it always pulled through. Which mining machine do you still think about fondly, and what made it memorable?

 

[rockbreaker7]

I can’t help but reminisce about the old Cat 773 we used to run during those summer days in high school. That machine would tackle anything we threw at it without a single complaint, even when it was loaded down with rock. It really taught me the value of patience and respect for those big machines

 

[rockdrillpro]

I often find myself thinking about an old Komatsu D155 dozer I operated in a remote pit.
It was rigid and steady, always managing to keep moving when everything else was stuck.
Those chilly mornings crawling over the frozen ground felt more like survival training than actual work.

 

[TunnelRat]

And then there was that battered Atlas Copco drill rig, which had more duct tape than metal. Yet somehow it always managed to drill the holes we needed. I have such fond memories of its stubbornness it really showed me that sometimes, perseverance is more valuable than the latest shiny technology.

 

[bl00dymary]

probably it's the Bucyrus Erie draglines for me. they had a soul that modern electric rigs just don’t have. once you got the swing and dump timed perfectly, you felt like you were part of the machine
I don't see that kind of momentum anymore

 

[Trollminer]

I often find myself reminiscing about the Caterpillar 777 haul trucks true workhorses that could take a beating and just keep on trucking. And then there's the Komatsu PC8000 excavator huge, dependable, and somehow it made even the toughest digs feel like a walk in the park.

 

[Goldshark]

I recently sold a 1959 IR air track. The thing was bomb proof. Simple and reliable. The thing made more money verses my newer Tamrock, per $ spent on the equipment. Noisy and guzzled diesel, but always ran.

 

[Barry]

I still miss some of the older diesel-driven loaders and drill rigs that had way less electronics and more mechanical feel to them. They weren’t as comfortable or efficient as modern machines but they were straightforward to diagnose and fix in the field. You could hear what was wrong before you even shut them down and that kind of feedback is something newer systems don’t always give you.