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Trolley Photographs Hutnyak Consulting

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The following photos are from actual trolley operations around the world. Many thanks to the companies and individuals who provided these for inclusion on this web site. Anyone wishing to submit additional photographs are encouraged to contact Dave Hutnyak.

Note: Clicking on each small "thumbnail" photo causes a larger version of the photo to be displayed.

Trolley Applications:

Valtellina Dam Project, Italy
Riverside Cement, California
Kennecott Chino, Arizona
Quebec Cartier Lac Jeannine
Palabora, South Africa
ISCOR, South Africa
Nchanga, Zambia
Rossing Uranium, Namibia
Barrick Goldstrike, Nevada

The Valtellina trolley system was built in 1938 and operated until the early sixties. A total of 20 trolley trucks were used to carry concrete, sand and equipment for construction of the Valtellina dam in northern Italy.

There were 16 three-axle trolley trucks, 4 two-axle trolleytrucks, and 2 trolley buses for transporting personnel. These trucks were NOT trolley-assisted, but were FULL trolley - operating on 650 volts dc power from overhead lines. Two trolley lines were installed, having a total length of 80 kilometers.

For more details, click here.

Trolley tractor #17 shown in July 1944, during the War. It is painted in "war livery", with white bumpers and mudguards, and eyelids over the front lights.	Near Bormio, a new trolley truck in a builder photo of 1940.	Crossing between trolley trucks.
	Trolley truck #4 flat body carrying miscellaneous materials, including a bike, in front of the Sondalo hospital.

This truck was NOT trolley assisted, but rather FULL trolley. It did NOT have an engine, and was driven by an overhead trolley line on haul roads or by an "extension cord" when at the shovel.

For more historical details, click here.

Kenworth truck	30 ton payload	At the Shovel
On the Haul Road	At the Workshop	350 hp, GE-762 Motor
Drive Motor in Truck	Auxiliary Motor	Accel & Retard Resistors
Cable Reel	Operator Controls

In 1967 Kennecott Copper Corporation conducted the first feasibility study and prototype test of trolley-assisted large mining trucks. Although the testing was successful, trolley assist was never used in production service.

For more historical details, click here.

The test truck was a Unit Rig model M100 with a 700 hp diesel engine, carrying a payload of 123 tons up a 7% ramp. The photo shown at left was provided courtesy of General Electric Company.

QCM at Lac Jeannine, Quebec was the first successful application of modern trolley-assist. This trolley system collected power from an overhead busbar using a trolley pole arrangement. Trolley trucks included KW Dart 85 ton, Unit Rig M85 (85 ton), and Unit Rig M100 (100 ton) trucks. For more details, see the history writeup.

For more historical details, click here.

Truck on Line	Unit Rig truck Entering Line	More of Overhead Line
Side View	Details of Entry Pan	View of Entrance Pan
Suspension Tower	Details of Trolley Pole	Pole in Stowed Position
Truck on Line	Entering the Line

Palabora's initial trolley test system incorporated a trolley pole/conductor arrangement. At conclusion of the testing, the poles were discarded and replaced with pantographs. The early trolley fleet was comprised of 75 Unit Rig Mark 36 trucks, with 170 ton capacity. Euclid R190 trucks were later added to the trolley fleet. For more details, see the history writeup.

For more historical details, click here.

Test Truck with Pole & Conductor	Early Pantograph Arrangement	Final Pantograph Arrangement
Unit Rig M36	Palabora Open Pit	Truck Silhouette
Sunset	Announcement

ISCOR is presently the largest user of trolley assist in the world. These photos are primarily of the "early" ISCOR trolley system, with the exception of those showing the Euclid R280 AC truck. ISCOR has perfected a "lightweight" overhead line system, which is fed by many small substations. It is hoped to add photos of the current system in the near future.

As of February 2001, the Sishen mine was operating a trolley haulage fleet consisting of 32 Komatsu 730Es and 9 Unit Rig M36s. The Grootegeluk mine was operating a trolley haulage fleet consisting of 14 Komatsu 730Es, 11 Marathon-LeTourneau 2200s, and 1 Euclid R280 AC.

For more historical details, click here.

Sishen trolley trucks	Pantographs on Canopy	Details of Pantograph Mounting
Unit Rig M36	M36 on trolley	Haulpak 685E
Recently Rebuilt M36	MLT2200 at Grootegeluk	Grootegeluk
Closeup of MLT Panto Mount	Trolley Truck Lineup	Lots of Trucks on Line
Euclid R280	R280 at Grootegeluk	Closeup View
	Side View

The ZCCM mine at Nchanga installed a trolley system that collected power from an overhead busbar using shoes mounted on trolley poles. Many of these pictures are screen shots from a GE-produced video. For more historical details, click here.

Photo Courtesy of GE	Haulpak 120C	Photo Courtesy of GE
Screen Shots from GE Video	Trolley Poles & Resting Point	Raising Poles
Poles Raised	Entering the Pan	On the Line
Front View	View Along the Line	Side View
Closeup of Poles	Carbon Shoe	Bolted Joint of Bus

Rossing was a "sister" mine to Palabora, and when they installed their trolley system, sometime around 1986, they patterned it after Palabora's.

As of February 2001, Rossing was operating a trolley haulage fleet consisting of 11 Komatsu 730Es.

Barrick conducted numerous trolley feasibility studies and in 1993 gave the go-ahead to proceed with the installation of a system at their Goldstrike mine in Nevada. The system was patterned after Palabora's, except that the equipment was upsized to accommodate Goldstrike's larger trucks (190 ton vs. 170 ton).

Overhead lines and substations were supplied by Siemens, and were of a full-catenary heavy-duty design. Pantographs, from TransTech of South Carolina, were used for current collection. Their "half-scissor" design differed from the "full-scissor" design used at Palabora.

By October 1994 five trolley lines, which totaled 2.9 miles in length, were in service - along with 50 Komatsu 685E haul trucks that had been converted for trolley operation. Barrick continued to expand the trolley system, with a total of 74 trucks and 4.5 miles of trolley lines in service.

Haulpak 685E at Goldstrike		Multiple Trucks on Line
Siemens Wayside Substation	Installing Trolley Line	Mobile Platform
Connecting the Substation