The "Big Daddy's" of Caterpillars scraper legacy, 660 and 666! A brief walk around on a 660 before it gets shipped of New Zealand to finish it's career in a private collection!
Hi, Scotty (IF yer still watchin'.) I worked around those 660Bs back in the mid-1980s on the Newcastle Expressway around Freeman's Waterholes, again in the mid-late-1990s, at Hervey bay and then in Brisbane - quite the beast. Thiess Contractors brought 6 of them into the country to work on stripping overburden off mines in Queensland, I believe up around the Isa. I have been told that because they were hauling lighter material, Thiess had the bowls extended to 58 cubic yards capacity instead of the standard 54 Cu. Yds. I have also been told that these 6 were the only 660 B series brought into the country. One of the 660Bs was 'totalled' at Freeman's Waterholes while working with Thiess, leaving only 5 of them. The 666 that was in that yard the last time I saw them came from Hunter Valley Earthmoving and was the last surviving 'runner' from their fleet. A previous owner of those 660Bs bought it from HVE and used it with the 660Bs for several years before he sold the business to some people who managed to run it into the ground. Just my 0.02. You have a wonderful day. Best wishes. Deas Plant.
Hi, @@damienodonohue1327. Yer welkum, Sir. I spent some time working around them but not 'ackshully' operating them as I was usually on either grader or a dozer - cleaning up after the cans. Just my 0.02. You have a wonderful day. Best wishes. Deas Plant.
Hi, Scotty (IF yer still watchin'.)
I worked around those 660Bs back in the mid-1980s on the Newcastle Expressway around Freeman's Waterholes, again in the mid-late-1990s, at Hervey bay and then in Brisbane - quite the beast.
Thiess Contractors brought 6 of them into the country to work on stripping overburden off mines in Queensland, I believe up around the Isa. I have been told that because they were hauling lighter material, Thiess had the bowls extended to 58 cubic yards capacity instead of the standard 54 Cu. Yds. I have also been told that these 6 were the only 660 B series brought into the country.
One of the 660Bs was 'totalled' at Freeman's Waterholes while working with Thiess, leaving only 5 of them.
The 666 that was in that yard the last time I saw them came from Hunter Valley Earthmoving and was the last surviving 'runner' from their fleet. A previous owner of those 660Bs bought it from HVE and used it with the 660Bs for several years before he sold the business to some people who managed to run it into the ground.
Just my 0.02.
You have a wonderful day. Best wishes. Deas Plant.
Good on you cobber, so great to hear some very relevant history of these old big jiggers,delivered rationally&logically with out any bullsh#t👍👌
Hi, @@damienodonohue1327.
Yer welkum, Sir. I spent some time working around them but not 'ackshully' operating them as I was usually on either grader or a dozer - cleaning up after the cans.
Just my 0.02.
You have a wonderful day. Best wishes. Deas Plant.