Friday, August 8, 2014

Bingham Copper Mine, Utah, GE 125 ton center cab electric switcher


Number 871 was one of four built in October-November 1955 for this mine's industrial railway; Bo-Bo type; 750 Volts DC; 250,000 pounds (113.4 tonnes) operating weight, retired November 1983.

The mine has been in operation since 1906. "In 1985 mining was halted because outmoded equipment had driven the cost of extracting the copper beyond the current selling price. The owners responded by replacing an antiquated 1000-car railroad with conveyor belts and pipelines for transporting the ore and waste, which reduced costs by nearly 30 percent and returned the operation to profitability. For years it was the largest open-pit mine in the world; it is still among the world's largest open-pit mines." (wikipedia)

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