SCOTTISH construction machinery writer and photographer David Wylie has released the follow-up to his successful first book about earthmoving and mining equipment.
Earthmovers in UK and Germany is the title of the self-published book, which follows the same format as David’s first offering – Earthmovers in Scotland – in that it is a compilation of various site visits to witness first-hand some of the industry’s most impressive pieces of equipment in action.
David told Project Plant, “The book brought me into four sectors again: mining, quarries, demolition and renewables. There’s a bit of forestry as well because Scotland’s one of the key areas in the UK for timber harvesting.
“I had so much material for the first book that I had to draw a line in the sand at some point. I always had in mind that, if it was successful, I had all this material to use in book two. So, this really carried on where book one stops.
“It starts with Banks Mining when they received their 520-tonne O&K RH200. I’d gone to see that just as I was finishing my first book.”
David said he chose to focus on the UK and Germany because of the strong mining connections between the two countries.
The book contains details of trips to Caterpillar’s German factory, which produces the world’s largest hydraulic excavator – the 1,000-tonne Cat 6090 FS – and Komatsu Germany where David had the opportunity to test drive the PC4000-11.
“When I looked at the history of mining in the UK, there were a lot of connections with Germany,” David explained. “That was really emphasised when I went to the Caterpillar factory. The RH120C had been the premier mining shovel in the UK since 1983. From 1983 to 2000, 87 units were built – 40% of the world market was in the UK. The very first RH120C was actually sold to a company called RJ Budge in 1983. It was a prototype machine. They bought it, liked it, and ended up buying more afterwards.
“Not only did Budge buy the first RH120C from Germany, they bought the first RH170 and also the first RH200.
“In the UK and Germany there’s been a very strong connection over many decades. It’s the same with Komatsu. I mention in the book that the PC3000 – the 300-tonne mining shovel that’s operated in the UK for a good number of years – the first prototype/forerunner of that was sold to a customer called Law Mining down in Ayrshire. That was the H255S, which then morphed into the PC3000.”
The front cover features Europe’s largest dozer, a D475A-5, and in total, more than 500 images are featured in the book, with David confident that feedback will prove to be as positive as when he wrote his first one.
“I got a lot of good feedback on that first book from people in the industry,” he added. “They thought it was a really good format.
“Two years ago, Jim Donnelly, operations director at Banks Mining, received his copy just before Christmas. He said he’s not really considered a plant geek but when he picked it up, he couldn’t put it down. He couldn’t wait until Christmas to read it!
“And on learning about my new book, I’m honoured that Jim has kindly written the foreword on it.”
The book also features a contribution from construction machinery author Keith Haddock, who writes about Germany’s giant bucket wheel excavators.
David has only printed 300 copies of his new book, making it very much a limited edition publication. The book is priced at £34.95 plus postage and packaging. He’s already taken orders from as far afield as Australia, America, Switzerland, Germany and Norway.
• For more information or to purchase a copy, contact David via his Earthmoving Images Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/earthmovingbooks/
