Weird workings own at the mn
Page 52
Page 53
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Improvisation is e name of The game as far as e transport neeas of Malaysia's tin mines are concerned, Mere are some weird anc wonderful vehicles on site, out -ne joP still seems to get cone...
N MINING is one of )laysia's major industries and a main transport needs of )se involved in the industry is vehicles to move topsoil in jungle preas as these regions ) cleared to expose the tinataining soil lower down.
The mines are all open-cast J from time to time tippers are aded to move quantities of th and rubble on site. This luirement is met by an unu11 breed of owner-driver who kes a living from using old military four-wheel drive rides which are towed from to site depending on where y are required.
Ihe drivers generally intain and look after their vehicles; and when they rk at the mine site they ally sleep at a mine camp ck with other mine workers. he vehicles themselves are n loosely based on Second rld War type Canadian Ford iy trucks or Bedford RLs s and engines are changed lecessary, and equipment instrumentation is kept to bare minimum.
• he tippers I saw on the es had even dispensed with eries They are normally .ed on a hill and roll started le beginning of the day's
s the lorries are intended usively for on-site work. are not subject to licensing ly other controls, but have amain roadworthy and in I condition as the men that -ate them only get paid a the vehicles are actually ating
f the lorries I examined, t were fitted with cabs h dated from the Second d War, but some had Bed kFord andiVlettvies-Benz
The owner-drivers are kept reasonably busy as they are involved in excavation operations on existing mines, on new ones 'which are frequently being opened up, or on old open-cast sites which are being restored to other land uses or allowed to return to their original jungle state The earnings of the owner drivers are minimal when compared with those of any type of transport contractor Europe; but can neverthele, by Malaysian standards, p, vide the men with a comforta living.
The workers are paid the si of 90 Malaysian cents for ev on-site load that is transfer! from the main mine workingE the periphery — there are ab 4.5 Malaysian dollars to sterling.
Most of the lorries can rn. up to 100 on-site trips and rr of the drivers manage to ear regular income of at le $1000 per month.
However, some larger mi that have a, constant need four-wheel drive on-site vehir have their own lorries and regular mine workers to opei them
The mine-owned vehicic saw were generally in a spe cularly neglected state.
They were filled with fuel and water levels were check but they appeared to get other maintenance whatsee%
These vehicles retain tl original cabs until they totally demolished by o■ enthusiastic excavator opt tars The lorries often look though they have b specifically hired as props war film The tin-mining proccsi Malaysia also relies or _di, lorry engines adapted as p ping engines for the purposc pumping the large quantitie water used to separate the ore from the soil.
Most mines I visited are using Detroit diesel and C mins engines which are pro capable of running constant the very hot climate of Male) .„The average tin mine about four pumping...enginc operpt■on, several vim nurV -type Ford tracto st Malaysian tin m also rely on a light pick-up 1 to meet the general trans needs of the working c munity at the mines; and z.
• the mines I visited a sr Japanese built vehicle prc adequate for this purpose. The light pickup is a m used form of transport in Sc east Asia, and the mark almost entirely monopol* the Japanese.
Malaysian tin mines -clo I limited but highly speck transport requirements, conventional vehicles opera the mines, but four-wheel c lorries, such as The Bedford are nevertheless able to wo arduous tropical conditions at basic minimum opera costs.