Giants at work: Big jobs, bigger machines summer exhibit opens at Britannia Mine Museum in BC
Something BIG has rolled into the Britannia Mine Museum, bringing childhood dreams of giant trucks to life in a hands-on, larger-than-life experience.
Step into the world of modern mining this summer with the colossal Cat 793C mining truck, donated by Finning Canada, towering over 21 feet tall and weighing more than 325,000 lbs.
Visitors can climb up onto the upper platform of one of the largest mining trucks they’ll ever experience up close and see mining from the perspective of those who operate these massive machines.
This mining truck once operated in a northern British Columbia mine, working over 78,500 hours and hauling more than 43 million metric tons.
Showcasing the scale, engineering, and impact of modern mining, it towers over the existing WABCO Haul Truck that was originally donated to the museum in 1991.
“We’re excited to debut the Cat 793C Mining Truck as our newest attraction at the Britannia Mine Museum,” Britannia Mine Museum Executive Director Cheryl Hendrickson said in a news release. “It allows visitors to experience the immense scale of these mining giants firsthand, encouraging a deeper and more informed understanding of modern mining.”
Over the course of one dedicated week, a crew of four Finning Canada specialists finished the complex assembly of the Cat 793C Mining Truck right on-site. It took 88 hours of shop labour, 149 hours of field labour and six transported loads to get the truck to the museum. See the time lapsed assembly video here.
This massive machine is the centrepiece of the museum’s newest summer exhibit, “Giants at Work: Big Jobs, Bigger Machines,” showcasing scale and power of monumental mining equipment that keep today’s mining industry moving.
Running from May 16 to September 7, visitors will learn about towering mining trucks to massive excavators, bulldozers and loaders that support large-scale mining operations and discover the skilled people who operate, maintain, and work alongside them every day.
Learn more here.