Mining and History in Logan Lake

Just across the way from the Logan Lake Lodge where I was staying you can see a decommissioned mining haul truck and an electric shovel. Each are about two stories high and have been painted white for preservation. They represent the importance mining plays in Logan Lake’s history and present circumstances.

According to the district’s official website, prospectors first came to the Highland Valley back in 1871 (the year BC joined Canada). Copper was discovered and large scale production began with the opening of the Craigmont mine in 1961. Several other mines also opened in the Highland valley shortly thereafter. By 1970 the mining companies working in the district decided that it would be a good idea to organize a town for the mine workers’ families and supporting businesses, saving everyone the effort of regular travel into the valley from either Ashcroft or Merritt.  In November 1970 the village of Logan Lake was incorporated and in June 1983 it was incorporated into a District Municipality (part of the Thompson-Nicola Regional District). Wikipedia says that Canada Post started service from their office there in August 1971.

Yes, there is a lake there. I know because I’ve taken pictures of it. They stock it with trout for the tourists who stay at the campground at the north end of the lake, but the locals have plenty of other lakes in the district that they don’t tell the tourists about. Actually that’s not quite true. They do tell tourists about the local lakes. After mining and ranching, tourism is the area’s other economic opportunity. The fantastic fishing, golfing, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling are all activities that Logan Lake is more than happy to share with (and sell to) you.

The bottom line is, if you’re not a local, tourist, or rancher, you’re in Logan Lake to go up to the mine; which brings me back to the history again. I was intrigued by the big haul truck and shovel parked across the way, so after taking some pictures of them, I looked up what I had found.

Both machines were used in production by Highland Valley Copper and were donated to the district, as far as I can tell, in February 1990. I know for sure the truck was because the copper plaque beside it says so. There is however, no similar plaque that I found for the shovel.

The haul truck is a Wabco 3200B Haulpak. From what I’ve read, Wabco doesn’t make complete vehicles anymore, but back in 1978, when this model was first introduced, they were. It had a revolutionary (for then) load capacity of 235 cubic yards of material – approximately 214 tons payload. It’s special because back then loaders were not as big as they are these days and the truck’s tray (or box) had to be much lower than those on today’s haul trucks to allow them to lift material into the tray. The cab is also further forward, so you’ll notice that the truck is articulated* to allow for shorter radius turns. I’ve been told that because of its length this style of truck won’t fit in most maintenance buildings used in surface mining.

Side-bar: Wabco was founded by George Westinghouse in 1869. Yes, this is the same Westinghouse behind the electrical home appliances you have used. It was he who invented the air-brake, which allowed the further safe development of trains and the large commercial vehicles you see today. Wabco is an acronym for Westinghouse Air Brake Company. Back in the 70’s Wabco also pioneered development of modern ABS systems. Source: Wabco FAQ

The electric shovel (and oh boy do these units generate a lot of electricity) is a Bucyrus-Erie 165-B. Bucyrus, like Wabco, has been in the mining business for a long time.

In 1880, Daniel P. Eells brought together relatives and business associates with the intentions of forming a new manufacturing facility. Founded in Bucyrus Ohio, the Bucyrus Foundry and Manufacturing Company was born “to carry on the business of a foundry and of manufacturing machinery and railroad cars …”

Since June 3, 1882 when the first Bucyrus Foundry and Manufacturing Company railroad steam shovel was shipped to the Northern Pacific Railroad, the name Bucyrus has been synonymous with excavating machinery. In 1883 Bucyrus shipped its first dipper dredge. By 1889, Bucyrus was able to boast in a company catalog “We have by far the largest and best equipped shops in the country for the manufacture of steam shovels and dredges.” Source: The Bucyrus Legacy – company brochure, 2005.

Bucyrus really put their name on global stage by supplying the U.S. Government with shovels to dig the Panama Canal between 1904 and 1914. During those years seventy-seven Bucyrus shovels and twenty-four Marion shovels (fierce rival Marion Power Shovel company was absorbed by Bucyrus in 1997) removed more than 172 million cubic meters of dirt.

Bucyrus has also made it into the Guinness Book, having built Big Muskie, the world’s largest mobile earth moving machine ever constructed.

For those who aren’t familiar with “excavating machinery”, Bucyrus is probably best known for having built the caterpillar tracks that NASA used at Kennedy Space Center to move the massive Saturn V rockets used in the Apollo program. Those tracks are still in use today to move the space shuttles from the Vehicle Assembly building to the launch pads.

In 2005 Bucyrus International, Ltd (which changed its name from Bucyrus-Erie in 1997) celebrated its 125th year of business.

After you read that, perhaps it seems a little mundane for the good people of Logan Lake to have converted the shovel donated them by Highland Valley Copper to house the local tourism office. Then again, for anyone who has read Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, it’s probably as good a place to retire a practical piece of history as any.

* Correction (12/22/08) – This is NOT the case. See comment from Mike Warneke below.