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Digger Man Blog

by Nick Drew  |  Thu 16 Jan 2020

Doug Hamilton’s Machine Memories (Part Sixteen)

Continuing our series focusing on the memories of retired plant man Doug Hamilton in his own words and featuring archive photos from his own private collection.

Doug Hamilton’s Machine Memories (Part Sixteen)

“There was a gravel pit up near Victoria, it’s been long gone now but had to add it in to my memories before I forget”.

“I Happened to have been driving by one day and I remembered that I was told they always used International Harvester/Hough kit there right up to the end. They then changed to Komatsu 700’s as sadly the Payloaders where no more”.

“Even sadder to see was the old girls that were lying in their bone yard, with a couple of old machines gradually being cannibalised to keep other old machines running maybe”.

"This was a younger Payloader model, but gradually being stripped down to a shell of her former self".

“I spotted this big old girl smoking away working along the roadside one day, still nice to see one being put to good use”.

“It was so sad to see the demise of the International Payloaders, as they were very popular in Canada, throughout my working career”.

“It was my opinion that they sure led the way, as far as wheeled loaders went and if they hadn’t disappeared where would they have been today? It was a sad ending for a legendary brand and it saddens me to think that in the near future they won’t need operators the way it’s going. Already in the big mines here they have self-driven trucks and working on face shovels as well so the need for an operator gradually being diminished, almost a dying breed I fear. Once again this will mean more people unemployed. And the people that enjoyed the job will in due course no longer be able too”.

More from Doug in the final instalment of his memories soon here on the Digger Man Blog.

 

 

 

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