Mine rubbish dumps

[Jeremy Dixon]

I have heard crazy stories about stuff that has been dumped on the mine because of security it couldnt leave.Heard stories of boilermakers looking for parts and whilst there were there they would jump start two of the dumped cars and start playing real life bumper cars! Also heard a story of 4 brand new trucks being ordered that someone had forgotten about just dumped in the middle of no were.I know that occasionally when the sea wall broke they would simply block the hole with any near by earth moving equipment and leave it there!Has anyone else seen or heard of any crazy stuff like this?

[Paula Gottsch (Willson)]

I know that the earthmoving machines still end up in the sea, only differance these days is that the operator is still in them.

:emot186:

[Michael Alexander]

Jim Murray. (or somebody) said to me that they extended the pipes on the old bulldozers before running them into the ocean...that way they could keep on chugging until they were guite deep under the ocean....hehehehe! Bet the Greenies would do their nut if that was done 2day...... 

[georg ruf jr.]

I heard that Mike... 

[Michael Alexander]

Hey calm down Greenie....way before your time...and just imagine all the crayfish that got good homes to live in now....  15_3_27

[georg ruf jr.]

And no oil needed in the salad-dressing... 

[Michael Alexander]

Gee.... and there was me thinking oil could be found in the ocean....   image20   

[barb (Fry)]

Ja this crazy abandoning off machinery (cars and earth moving etc) in the desert was common practice during the years of prior to the town being open,
even the german army did it hahaha leaving tanks for us to play in 

[Malcolm Bertoni]

We dont dare tell the greenies what we got up to at Affenrucken.

[Michael Alexander]

And here are are some recent photo's of some of those dumps....

[Michael Alexander]

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[Michael Alexander]

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[Michael Alexander]

How much money wasted out there, I believe there were crated clutch plates and other machine parts, still brand new lying over the place.... $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

WHat a waste!

[Lance Olivier]

My 2 cent worth stories. While working at No. 1 Plant during my appieship (seem to have spent a long time as an appie) anyway breakdown occured, bearing failure on one of the crushers, plant comes to grinding halt. No replacement bearing to be found as it was an odd size, only replacement available would have to come from overseas many days or weeks delivery time, besides these bearing prices ran into the tens of thousands Rand price range then. Bob Ferrie then says lets go and look in the dumps as there was an old storage rack there which had been chucked. Drive to dumps, find storage rack half buried in sand, dig dig dig, and on one the shelves buried under about a foot or two of sand, lo and behold the bearing required for the crusher amongst many other bearings, still wrapped in it's grease proof paper, install bearing and plant running again.
Second story. Working at No. 2 Plant (no more appie, qualified now) super low tide occured, riser pipes for plant seawater supply exposed to atmosphere plus sand build up. Plant standing. Many ideas were thought of and attempts made to get water to the plant. One attempt was to take a belly scraper (Cat 641, I think), tie pipes to the machine, fill the belly with gravel/stones and drive it into the sea. Story goes that the machine did get into the sea, but the inflated tyres gave the machine enough buoyancy and thus would not sink for the pipes to be submreged. Get someone to shoot tyres to sink machine, but by this time an alternate water supply had been found as well as the problem with the riser pipes resolved.

[Michael Alexander]

My father, Jock, also recounts many a story where they needed urgent spare parts for a compressor or two at Uubvley, thye just went to the scrapyard, and lo and behold you always found the spares there....