The various kinds of loads

The roll on the back of this load was a piece of conveyor belting being transported into the DeBeers mine at Snap Lake. I can't recall what the driver said it weighed or cost but it struck me at the time as both being VERY substantial.

Some of the loads were so heavy they cam in over 11 axles. This particular loadhas 9 axles under it. Some of the highway tractors on the winter road were tandem steering axles and tridem driving axles.

The day this load was going north alongwith 3 or 4 other storage tanks was a gorgeous day with a blue sky. It was interesting to see these loads from a higher point in the road going through the bush where just the tops of the tanks were seen and the tractors and trailers were hidden by the bush. And of course with them being quite top heavy it was likewise interesting to see thee edges of the tanks dip close to the ground when the wheels on one side would go up on a higher point on the road.

Another day with lots of blue sky (but cold) and a load that was over 11 axles. This was the body portion of a dragline I believe. Note the tandem/tridem tractor. This photo was taken on Mackay Lake which comprised 95 kilometers of the winter road. At 30 kilometers an hour it took the trucks over 3 hours to cross this lake and on a sunny day it was sometimes hard to stay awake! And the photo below depicts what would happen when a driver DID fall asleep on a curve!

The snow alongside Mackay Lake or any of the lakes north of the tre line which was at the south end of Mackay Lake would pack down like cement and pulling a load out was not necessarily an easy feat. This load was pulled out by a highway tractor (a tandem/tridem) that was equipped with a winch but the winch truck had to be anchored by a second truck with a load.

Each year there are several loads of FERTILIZER that goes into each of the mines. The "fertilizer" is combined with diesel fuel to create dynamite for use in the kimberlite pits. This load was just coming onto Card's Slough which is south of the infamous "Charlie's Hill"!