Mount Isa.

The pictures are of an extensively modified Toyota LandCruiser used underground at Mount Isa. All the modifications are carried out in Townsville Queensland and the modified components are all Australian made.

Once these cars go to work their life is extremely hard, so hard in fact that their life expectancy will range from 12 to 24 months and they will clock up 3,000 engine operating hours. When their life is over they don't look anything like they did when they first went to work.

Left is the car ready to go to work 1km underground.

The bonnet and mudguards are one piece moulded plastic that hinges forward leaving the engine fully exposed and easy to work on. The bonnets are designed and made in Townsville by Goff Plastics. I might add, to get the bonnet to this stage has been something of an engineering feat.
[Ed: Perhaps there's a market for this above ground.]

There you go (right) the engine sticking out like a country toilet. Maintaining the engine is as easy as working on a bench. This picture also shows the linkages for the speedlimiter. All these cars are limited to 25kph. This is achieved by sensing the output from the speedo' drive together with some electronic trickery; it governs the throttle on the injector pump. The base unit is manufactured by VDO and the wizardry to make it function at the low speed and to withstand the underground environment is carried out by Remote Control Technologies in Perth.

Interior View (left). The modular dash has everything plus an engine protection system. Electrical repairs are a piece of cake. Any problems, rip out the dash, fit an exchange unit and send the failed dash away for repairs. The dashes are designed and manufactures in Perth by Remote Control Technologies.

The original Toyota brakes are removed and fully enclosed, oil immersed wet disc brakes are fitted. These brakes last the life of the cars. The original Toyota brake pads had to be change every two weeks and the callipers would have to be changed out every six weeks. This wet disc braking system is designed and built by Birrana Engineering in South Australia.

These cars carry personnel to and from the job and can seats eight bod's. They are also used to carry explosives and other mining stores. Not at the same time as the people though. We also have them fitted with elevating platforms and baskets. The trays are manufactured by Townsville Body Fab.

The modification of the cars are carried out by Kowari Motors in Townsville. No, I don't work for any of these companies. I work for the mine that uses them. I just like to sprook about good old Aussie know how. This type of modified Toyota has been in use at Mt. Isa for two years now and we are currently running 114 Toyotas underground.
- Bruce Robinson

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