Issue 14 – JULY 2004

Liz Martin, thedrive behind theNational RoadTransport Hall ofFame in AliceSprings, isTrucking IndustryWoman of theYear.

Martins Stock Haulage takes a lot of pride in the way itoperates, and the service it provides customers.

The Steiger tractor has always been about power.The morehorses, the better. Cummins has unleashed those horses.

Tony Bardenhagen has been in the logging game in Tasmania for more than 50years. He relates some of his experiences.

CumminsMerCruiser Diesel

has released newelectronic Quantum

engines, the QSB and QSC, forthe recreational boating market.

Cummins parts interpreter,Warren Potent, is oneof the world’s top marksmen. He’s on target forthe Athens Olympics.

Cummins’ mightiest engine, the 3,500 hp QSK78,has been on test in the biggest man-made hole inthe world.

BGC Contracting has employed eight Cummins QSK19 engines in C510Kenworths for heavyweight haulage at Koolyanobbing in Western Australia.

The biggest andmost advancedegg productionfacility inAustralia relies onstate-of-the-artCumminsgenerators foremergency power.

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currently working for the Mbantua Gallery,writing profiles on aboriginal artists,including their cultural heritage, dreamingstories, and their conversion intocontemporary modern art from traditionalceremonial art.

Among the wonderful array of exhibits atthe Hall of Fame is ‘Bertha’,Australia’s firstcommercially successful roadtrain that wasoperated by the legendary Kurt Johannsen.‘Bertha’ was originally a 1942 US ArmyDiamond T tank retrieval tractor and witha 200 hp Hercules engine was bigger andmore powerful than anything ever seen onAustralian roads. Kurt developed self-tracking trailers that are also on displaywith the Diamond T. Restoration of boththe truck and trailers was carried out bythe Hall of Fame team.

Another highlight is the 8x8 AEC that wasbuilt in London in the early 1930s.Acknowledged as Australia’s first motorisedroadtrain, it arrived here in 1934. It wasone of three such vehicles built inanticipation of World War II and the rigoursof desert warfare. One went to Russia, oneto Africa and the other to Australia whereit has been fully restored and is on displayat the Hall of Fame.

2 3

In business, Ron O’Connor is first andforemost a hard-nosed operator.Astute,too. His territory is southern Tasmania,where he operates Aprin Logging, acompany involved in the harvesting andtransport of timber.

Aprin harvests over 200,000 tonnes ofsoftwood and hardwood a year, while thetruck fleet moves 500,000 to 600,000tonnes of logs.

Originally from Taupo in New Zealand’sNorth Island, Ron O’Connor beganworking in Australia in 1981 as a loggingharvester contracted to AustralianNewsprint Mills at Albury, NSW.

He began to realise there were biggeropportunities in the industry in Tasmania,and set up there in 1987 in harvesting.Today, he has a $7 million investment inharvesting equipment as well as a fleet of15 log trucks.

His truck fleet, which is changed out everytwo to two-and-a-half years, is currentlyundergoing a major transformation withthe conversion from Caterpillar C15 toCummins Signature power.

The demands on the fleet are intense.Thetrucks run 22-plus hours a day, stoppingonly for greasing, fuelling and driver changes.

It’s easy to sense that emotion doesn’tfigure in Ron O’Connor’s truck purchasingdecisions.“Trucks are a means of movingwood,” he says with a shrug of the shoulders.

Above all, the ability of a supplier toprovide the right warranty and servicesupport package is the key to doingbusiness with Aprin Logging.

“My trucks and all their running gear mustbe under warranty for the two and a halfyears they are in this operation. I don’twant downtime. I don’t want to employtruck mechanics,” he says decisively.

Ron O’Connor didn’t get into the truckingside of logging until 1998 when he boughtScanias, but durability problems with theSwedish brand led him to Western Starand Caterpillar C15 power.

Today, the fleet is split between CumminsGeneration II Signature 580engines and 550 hp CaterpillarC15s. However, the next new batchof Western Stars coming into thefleet to replace the Cat-poweredunits will have Signature 580s.

“The latest Signatures areparticularly good engines,”says O’Connor’s operationsmanager Peter Kingston.“Weseem to be able to keep themat the one level of

performance while the Cats drop off regularly.”

The fuel efficiency and emphatic performance of theSignature 580s - both uphill and down - are otherdecisive factors.

“The Signatures are averaging 1.7km/litre versus 1.4 km/litre for the Cats,and the Signatures are at least a gear-and-a-half better coming down the hillson the engine brake,” Peter points out.

“All up we have a very good rig now.The Western Stars (ConstellationFX4800 models) stand up very well tothe bush work,” he adds.

The service support provided byCummins and Western Star is, of course,vital in an operation which demandshigh productivity.

Cummins’ new Hobart facility on theMidlands Highway is close toO’Connor’s Bridgewater headquarters,and the level of technical expertiseprovided by Rob Criggie’s Cummins

team is well regarded.

“I go to bed at night knowing my trucks are going towork and knowing they are coming home,” says RonO’Connor.

His fleet operates mainly in the Huon and Plenty Valleyareas of southern Tasmania, and the dominantcombination is a rigid truck towing a four-axle super dogwhich can operate at 57 tonnes on a high productivityroute.Three B-doubles are also part of the fleet.

Projecting the right image on the road is central to thesuccess of his log truck operation.“Getting the job doneefficiently in a non-aggressive way is what weconcentrate on,” he asserts.

Signatures cut it in Tassie

Ron O’Connor is converting his WesternStar fleet from Cat C15 to CumminsSignature 580 power.The Signature 580s areproving to be more fuel efficient as well ashaving better retarding and pulling power.

An immaculate 1941 Ford truck propelled by a 32 hp V8 is testimony toBrian and Kathleen Muskett’s time-honoured involvement in theTasmanian logging industry.

“We bought theFord in 1950. Itwas my firstlogging truck andI had it for sixyears,” says Brian,who celebratedhis 75th birthdayin April. “I toweda pole jinker withit and carted 13to 14 tons of logsat a time.

“A number ofyears latersomeone told methey’d found it abandoned in a paddock, so I recovered it and restored itwith genuine parts.”

The engine in the truck is one of Ford’s legendary ‘flathead’ V8s with side-operating valves. It was the automotive industry’s first affordable, massproduced V8 - an icon that was a Ford constant for 22 years (1932-54).

Today, Brian Muskett and family head up a logging operation, BR and KFMuskett & Sons, that is one of the biggest in Tasmania.The business isbased at New Norfolk in the Derwent Valley, about 30 km from Hobart.

Brian’s daughter Helen and sons Robert, Geoffrey and Kevin are alldirectors of the business, while grandsons Nicholas and Matthew areinvolved as machine operators.

“We operate around 48 pieces of equipment and have 40 Cumminsengines,” Brian points out.“We run log trucks, cable loggers, excavators,felling heads, processing heads, skidders, forwarders, and woodprocessors.

“Our Cummins engines are mainly B and C series, although you’ll find wehave a number of other models - a 903, some 855s, a couple of 1710sand so on.

“I bought my first Cummins engine in 1967. It was a C160(a 7.6-litre in-line six) which I used to repower apetrol R190 International.This was my first diesel-powered truck,” he recalls.

Today, Muskett & Sons is one of the largest singleusers of Cummins power in Tasmania.

“We find there’s less hassle dealing with Cummins,”says Brian.“If the product wasn’t any good wewouldn’t have it, and you can’t beat the Cumminsservice support in Tasmania.”

Brian gives no hint that, at 75, he’s ready to get outof the business.“I still get into the office everymorning at 7.30 and don’t leave until 5 or 5.30,” hesays.Then he adds with a smile,“I have to admit Ido go home for a lunch.”

Northern TerritorianLiz Martin is popularchoice as NationalTrucking IndustryWoman of the Year.

Sponsored by Cummins, the AustralianTrucking Association award recognises Liz’swork as president of the magnificentNational Road Transport Hall of Fame inAlice Springs.

Liz has devoted her life to ensuring that thehistorical significance of road transport isduly recorded and promoted to the broadercommunity. She has been president of theHall of Fame for 12 consecutive years.

“Winning the award is tremendous,” saysLiz.“I see it as an acknowledgement for themany people who work tirelessly as part ofmy team.

“It is amazing to be rewarded forsomething you love doing so much. Roadtransport is certainly my passion.

“When we started the Hall of Fame in1992 we thought it would be a Sundayafternoon hobby, but it has grown beyondour dreams.

Liz Martin...“It’samazing to berewarded forsomething youlove doing somuch.”

Volunteers Greg Livesay and DianeBourke polish a B model Mack.

A new mufflerdeveloped byCummins subsidiary,Fleetguard, has helpedquell a public outcryin Tasmania aboutnoisy trucks.

The effect of the newmuffler has beendramatic, withindependent testing

showing engine brake noise to be reduced bynearly 7 dBA. In real terms, that’s a hugedecrease in noise.

Logging trucks coming down the long, steepMt Nelson descent into Hobart with theirengine brakes activated have been the focus ofthe noise issue.Retarding power of Signature

is a huge benefit in the bush.

Peter Kingston...“The latestSignatures areparticularly goodengines.”

Tasmanianlogging veterankeeps onkeeping on

Brian Muskett with his first logging truck -a 1941 Ford.

Brian withdaughter Helen.

“We now have around 100 vehicles ondisplay, hundreds of photographs,memorabilia, and the Wall of Fame whichrecognises the men and women who havecontributed not only to the industry butalso to the nation itself.

“We’re self-funded and get tremendoussupport from the industry,” Liz points out.“Everything we do is in a voluntarycapacity. No one is in a paid position.”

Cummins is a major sponsor of the Hall ofFame along with Kenworth, Mack,Volvo andShell.

Liz Martin was born in Katherine in theNorthern Territory in the 1950s.

Her great great grandfather worked as abullocky, her great grandfather worked withbullocks and also for Cobb & Co coaches,and her grandfather was a drover of note.

Liz grew up on various cattle stations andbuffalo properties throughout the Territoryand after completing her education atboarding school in Queensland she becamea hairdresser and married a truckie.

With her (now ex-) husband she operatedseveral successful transport businesses overthe years and later became vice-presidentof the Northern Territory Road TransportAssociation.

She also became president of the RoadTransport Historical Society, the groupresponsible for the development of the Hallof Fame.

Apart from her work at the Hall of Fame,Liz is also a freelance journalist. She is

Around 100 vehicles plus hundredsof photos and memorabilia are ondisplay at the Hall of Fame.

John Lindsley at work on restoration.

John Whatley, who runs a fleet of 22logging trucks from Orford on Tasmania’seast coast, decided to take the initiativebefore government action forced the handof operators.

“We had to do something... there was talkof curfews, of us not being able to use ourengine brakes in certain areas and so on,”says John Whatley.

“We’d have been in real trouble if wehadn’t taken action when we did.”

Whatley discussed the noise issue withCummins’ manager in Tasmania, RobCriggie, who followed it through withFleetguard.

Coincidentally, Fleetguard had justcompleted development of a new mufflerin Australia with US engineering input, soseveral of the new units were sent toTasmania for testing.

Whatley operates all three Americanengine brands and says the Series 60Detroit is the noisiest with the enginebrake activated.

He provided a T650 Kenworth fitted witha 14-litre Detroit for testing on the Mt

Nelson descent.The testing was carriedout by a consultant to the Department ofInfrastructure, Energy & Resources.

The Kenworth was tested first with theoriginal muffler, and then with the newFleetguard unit.

“The result was a 6.6 dBA reduction innoise level with the engine brakeactivated,” says John Whatley, who is nowchanging his fleet over to the new muffler.

This 6.6 dBA reduction means it is about58% quieter outside.

“We’re told there’s a marked decrease incomplaints from the public now that moretrucks are being fitted with the muffler,”says John Whatley.

Drivers alsohave aquieter,morepeacefulworkplace.“I canactually talkon thephone nowwith bothwindowsdown,”

says Stephen Bluett, who drives forJohn Whatley.

Static testing has actually showedin-cab noise level to be reduced byup to 5.4 dBA with the newmuffler. This means it is about 45%quieter inside the cabin.

Fleetguard is now producing themufflers in Australia for theaftermarket as well as fitment byheavy-duty truck manufacturers.

John Whatley...“Wehad to do something...there was talk ofcurfews, of us notbeing able to use ourengine brakes incertain areas andso on.”

John Whatley discusses the noiseissue with Cummins’ manager inTasmania Rob Criggie (left) andSteve Brooks, editor of Dieselmagazine.

Ron O’Connor... emotion doesn’t figure in his truckpurchasing decisions.

woodworkLiz Martin the proud keeperof trucking’s heritageLiz Martin the proud keeperof trucking’s heritage

New Fleetguard muffler eases truck noiseproblem in Tasmania

Photos accompanying this article courtesy of Lex Ballantyne.

currently working for the Mbantua Gallery,writing profiles on aboriginal artists,including their cultural heritage, dreamingstories, and their conversion intocontemporary modern art from traditionalceremonial art.

Among the wonderful array of exhibits atthe Hall of Fame is ‘Bertha’,Australia’s firstcommercially successful roadtrain that wasoperated by the legendary Kurt Johannsen.‘Bertha’ was originally a 1942 US ArmyDiamond T tank retrieval tractor and witha 200 hp Hercules engine was bigger andmore powerful than anything ever seen onAustralian roads. Kurt developed self-tracking trailers that are also on displaywith the Diamond T. Restoration of boththe truck and trailers was carried out bythe Hall of Fame team.

Another highlight is the 8x8 AEC that wasbuilt in London in the early 1930s.Acknowledged as Australia’s first motorisedroadtrain, it arrived here in 1934. It wasone of three such vehicles built inanticipation of World War II and the rigoursof desert warfare. One went to Russia, oneto Africa and the other to Australia whereit has been fully restored and is on displayat the Hall of Fame.

2 3

In business, Ron O’Connor is first andforemost a hard-nosed operator.Astute,too. His territory is southern Tasmania,where he operates Aprin Logging, acompany involved in the harvesting andtransport of timber.

Aprin harvests over 200,000 tonnes ofsoftwood and hardwood a year, while thetruck fleet moves 500,000 to 600,000tonnes of logs.

Originally from Taupo in New Zealand’sNorth Island, Ron O’Connor beganworking in Australia in 1981 as a loggingharvester contracted to AustralianNewsprint Mills at Albury, NSW.

He began to realise there were biggeropportunities in the industry in Tasmania,and set up there in 1987 in harvesting.Today, he has a $7 million investment inharvesting equipment as well as a fleet of15 log trucks.

His truck fleet, which is changed out everytwo to two-and-a-half years, is currentlyundergoing a major transformation withthe conversion from Caterpillar C15 toCummins Signature power.

The demands on the fleet are intense.Thetrucks run 22-plus hours a day, stoppingonly for greasing, fuelling and driver changes.

It’s easy to sense that emotion doesn’tfigure in Ron O’Connor’s truck purchasingdecisions.“Trucks are a means of movingwood,” he says with a shrug of the shoulders.

Above all, the ability of a supplier toprovide the right warranty and servicesupport package is the key to doingbusiness with Aprin Logging.

“My trucks and all their running gear mustbe under warranty for the two and a halfyears they are in this operation. I don’twant downtime. I don’t want to employtruck mechanics,” he says decisively.

Ron O’Connor didn’t get into the truckingside of logging until 1998 when he boughtScanias, but durability problems with theSwedish brand led him to Western Starand Caterpillar C15 power.

Today, the fleet is split between CumminsGeneration II Signature 580engines and 550 hp CaterpillarC15s. However, the next new batchof Western Stars coming into thefleet to replace the Cat-poweredunits will have Signature 580s.

“The latest Signatures areparticularly good engines,”says O’Connor’s operationsmanager Peter Kingston.“Weseem to be able to keep themat the one level of

performance while the Cats drop off regularly.”

The fuel efficiency and emphatic performance of theSignature 580s - both uphill and down - are otherdecisive factors.

“The Signatures are averaging 1.7km/litre versus 1.4 km/litre for the Cats,and the Signatures are at least a gear-and-a-half better coming down the hillson the engine brake,” Peter points out.

“All up we have a very good rig now.The Western Stars (ConstellationFX4800 models) stand up very well tothe bush work,” he adds.

The service support provided byCummins and Western Star is, of course,vital in an operation which demandshigh productivity.

Cummins’ new Hobart facility on theMidlands Highway is close toO’Connor’s Bridgewater headquarters,and the level of technical expertiseprovided by Rob Criggie’s Cummins

team is well regarded.

“I go to bed at night knowing my trucks are going towork and knowing they are coming home,” says RonO’Connor.

His fleet operates mainly in the Huon and Plenty Valleyareas of southern Tasmania, and the dominantcombination is a rigid truck towing a four-axle super dogwhich can operate at 57 tonnes on a high productivityroute.Three B-doubles are also part of the fleet.

Projecting the right image on the road is central to thesuccess of his log truck operation.“Getting the job doneefficiently in a non-aggressive way is what weconcentrate on,” he asserts.

Signatures cut it in Tassie

Ron O’Connor is converting his WesternStar fleet from Cat C15 to CumminsSignature 580 power.The Signature 580s areproving to be more fuel efficient as well ashaving better retarding and pulling power.

An immaculate 1941 Ford truck propelled by a 32 hp V8 is testimony toBrian and Kathleen Muskett’s time-honoured involvement in theTasmanian logging industry.

“We bought theFord in 1950. Itwas my firstlogging truck andI had it for sixyears,” says Brian,who celebratedhis 75th birthdayin April. “I toweda pole jinker withit and carted 13to 14 tons of logsat a time.

“A number ofyears latersomeone told methey’d found it abandoned in a paddock, so I recovered it and restored itwith genuine parts.”

The engine in the truck is one of Ford’s legendary ‘flathead’ V8s with side-operating valves. It was the automotive industry’s first affordable, massproduced V8 - an icon that was a Ford constant for 22 years (1932-54).

Today, Brian Muskett and family head up a logging operation, BR and KFMuskett & Sons, that is one of the biggest in Tasmania.The business isbased at New Norfolk in the Derwent Valley, about 30 km from Hobart.

Brian’s daughter Helen and sons Robert, Geoffrey and Kevin are alldirectors of the business, while grandsons Nicholas and Matthew areinvolved as machine operators.

“We operate around 48 pieces of equipment and have 40 Cumminsengines,” Brian points out.“We run log trucks, cable loggers, excavators,felling heads, processing heads, skidders, forwarders, and woodprocessors.

“Our Cummins engines are mainly B and C series, although you’ll find wehave a number of other models - a 903, some 855s, a couple of 1710sand so on.

“I bought my first Cummins engine in 1967. It was a C160(a 7.6-litre in-line six) which I used to repower apetrol R190 International.This was my first diesel-powered truck,” he recalls.

Today, Muskett & Sons is one of the largest singleusers of Cummins power in Tasmania.

“We find there’s less hassle dealing with Cummins,”says Brian.“If the product wasn’t any good wewouldn’t have it, and you can’t beat the Cumminsservice support in Tasmania.”

Brian gives no hint that, at 75, he’s ready to get outof the business.“I still get into the office everymorning at 7.30 and don’t leave until 5 or 5.30,” hesays.Then he adds with a smile,“I have to admit Ido go home for a lunch.”

Northern TerritorianLiz Martin is popularchoice as NationalTrucking IndustryWoman of the Year.

Sponsored by Cummins, the AustralianTrucking Association award recognises Liz’swork as president of the magnificentNational Road Transport Hall of Fame inAlice Springs.

Liz has devoted her life to ensuring that thehistorical significance of road transport isduly recorded and promoted to the broadercommunity. She has been president of theHall of Fame for 12 consecutive years.

“Winning the award is tremendous,” saysLiz.“I see it as an acknowledgement for themany people who work tirelessly as part ofmy team.

“It is amazing to be rewarded forsomething you love doing so much. Roadtransport is certainly my passion.

“When we started the Hall of Fame in1992 we thought it would be a Sundayafternoon hobby, but it has grown beyondour dreams.

Liz Martin...“It’samazing to berewarded forsomething youlove doing somuch.”

Volunteers Greg Livesay and DianeBourke polish a B model Mack.

A new mufflerdeveloped byCummins subsidiary,Fleetguard, has helpedquell a public outcryin Tasmania aboutnoisy trucks.

The effect of the newmuffler has beendramatic, withindependent testing

showing engine brake noise to be reduced bynearly 7 dBA. In real terms, that’s a hugedecrease in noise.

Logging trucks coming down the long, steepMt Nelson descent into Hobart with theirengine brakes activated have been the focus ofthe noise issue.Retarding power of Signature

is a huge benefit in the bush.

Peter Kingston...“The latestSignatures areparticularly goodengines.”

Tasmanianlogging veterankeeps onkeeping on

Brian Muskett with his first logging truck -a 1941 Ford.

Brian withdaughter Helen.

“We now have around 100 vehicles ondisplay, hundreds of photographs,memorabilia, and the Wall of Fame whichrecognises the men and women who havecontributed not only to the industry butalso to the nation itself.

“We’re self-funded and get tremendoussupport from the industry,” Liz points out.“Everything we do is in a voluntarycapacity. No one is in a paid position.”

Cummins is a major sponsor of the Hall ofFame along with Kenworth, Mack,Volvo andShell.

Liz Martin was born in Katherine in theNorthern Territory in the 1950s.

Her great great grandfather worked as abullocky, her great grandfather worked withbullocks and also for Cobb & Co coaches,and her grandfather was a drover of note.

Liz grew up on various cattle stations andbuffalo properties throughout the Territoryand after completing her education atboarding school in Queensland she becamea hairdresser and married a truckie.

With her (now ex-) husband she operatedseveral successful transport businesses overthe years and later became vice-presidentof the Northern Territory Road TransportAssociation.

She also became president of the RoadTransport Historical Society, the groupresponsible for the development of the Hallof Fame.

Apart from her work at the Hall of Fame,Liz is also a freelance journalist. She is

Around 100 vehicles plus hundredsof photos and memorabilia are ondisplay at the Hall of Fame.

John Lindsley at work on restoration.

John Whatley, who runs a fleet of 22logging trucks from Orford on Tasmania’seast coast, decided to take the initiativebefore government action forced the handof operators.

“We had to do something... there was talkof curfews, of us not being able to use ourengine brakes in certain areas and so on,”says John Whatley.

“We’d have been in real trouble if wehadn’t taken action when we did.”

Whatley discussed the noise issue withCummins’ manager in Tasmania, RobCriggie, who followed it through withFleetguard.

Coincidentally, Fleetguard had justcompleted development of a new mufflerin Australia with US engineering input, soseveral of the new units were sent toTasmania for testing.

Whatley operates all three Americanengine brands and says the Series 60Detroit is the noisiest with the enginebrake activated.

He provided a T650 Kenworth fitted witha 14-litre Detroit for testing on the Mt

Nelson descent.The testing was carriedout by a consultant to the Department ofInfrastructure, Energy & Resources.

The Kenworth was tested first with theoriginal muffler, and then with the newFleetguard unit.

“The result was a 6.6 dBA reduction innoise level with the engine brakeactivated,” says John Whatley, who is nowchanging his fleet over to the new muffler.

This 6.6 dBA reduction means it is about58% quieter outside.

“We’re told there’s a marked decrease incomplaints from the public now that moretrucks are being fitted with the muffler,”says John Whatley.

Drivers alsohave aquieter,morepeacefulworkplace.“I canactually talkon thephone nowwith bothwindowsdown,”

says Stephen Bluett, who drives forJohn Whatley.

Static testing has actually showedin-cab noise level to be reduced byup to 5.4 dBA with the newmuffler. This means it is about 45%quieter inside the cabin.

Fleetguard is now producing themufflers in Australia for theaftermarket as well as fitment byheavy-duty truck manufacturers.

John Whatley...“Wehad to do something...there was talk ofcurfews, of us notbeing able to use ourengine brakes incertain areas andso on.”

John Whatley discusses the noiseissue with Cummins’ manager inTasmania Rob Criggie (left) andSteve Brooks, editor of Dieselmagazine.

Ron O’Connor... emotion doesn’t figure in his truckpurchasing decisions.

woodworkLiz Martin the proud keeperof trucking’s heritageLiz Martin the proud keeperof trucking’s heritage

New Fleetguard muffler eases truck noiseproblem in Tasmania

Photos accompanying this article courtesy of Lex Ballantyne.

His remembers his first Cummins-powered truck, a 160 hpInternational C1840, doing an “unreal job as a single driveprime mover, carting three decks of lambs everywhere”.

“Our first big Cummins motor was the (14-litre) NTCrated at 335 hp, and that was in a Transtar cab-over thatwe bought in the very early 1970s.That was one of thebest trucks ever to come to Australia,” he saysemphatically.

He grimaces at the memory of a couple of V555 engineshe operated, but smiles when talking about the V903 andthe 290 and 300 hp 14-litre N-series engines he had greatsuccess with later in the 70s and through the 80s.

The electronic N14 Celect carved out a presence in the’90s and then followed the 15-litre ISX and Signature ofwhich Martins now has more than 40 in service.

The culture within the Martin operation today is certainlynot all about nuts and bolts.The Westpac RescueHelicopter Service is a favourite charity with all 100-plusemployees donating $2 a week from their pay packets tothe service.This donation is then matched by thecompany. Other community causes are stronglysupported.

The right breed, indeed!

The recent recordstock lift by Martinssaw Cumminsservice personnelput on alert alongthe route, ready forrapid response in theevent of a problem.The fleet ofSignature and N14engines performedfaultlessly,contributing to thehighly successful lift.

“One phone call before the event (to then CumminsTamworth service manager Mike Fowler) and we knewCummins would be up to speed.That kind ofsupport is very important to us,” saysMartins’ resource manager Bob Richardson.

Today, more than ever before, Martins StockHaulage is conscious of its image and the factit’s an important player in the food chain.

“We’re looking to improve ourselves all thetime,” says Bob Richardson.“We have toalways be conscious of the fact we’re a majorplayer in the food chain, and that animalwelfare is a priority.

“Once we have animals in our control wehave total responsibility for what is live andperishable freight, and we can’t afford to havetrucks broken down.”

Livestock hasn’t always been the biggest portion ofGordon Martin’s transport business. In the 1980s he had60 of his own trucks, plus 80 subbies, carting coal in theHunter Valley before the business was sold to Boralin 1989.

At that time he had only six stock trucks, but through the’90s significant fleet growth was driven by market demandas well as a number of acquisitions, including Finemores’stock haulage business in 1997. Early this year,Walkers ofDubbo was added to the acquisition list.

Kenworth is the entrenched truck brand at Martins, and aprogram is currently underway with up to 12 of thecompany’s T950s being repowered to extend theireconomical life to eight years from the normal four tofive years.

Cummins Tamworth is doing the repowers, slotting newGeneration II Signature 580s between the frame rails oncethe original N14 engines have done between 1.5 and 1.9million kilometres.

All new trucks are also being fitted with CumminsCentinel oil management systems which eliminate oilchanges and waste oil disposal.

After 45 years in road transport it’s not hard to imaginethe wealth of knowledge Gordon Martin has passed onto his team.“I know a few of the pitfalls,” he says in aclassic understatement.

Mostly a smile, butoccasionally a grimace,creases his face as he tracksthrough the years, preciselyrelating his experiences withvarious trucks and engines.

He has been around thelivestock game long enough -45 years, in fact - to knowwhat works and whatdoesn’t. But there’s more toGordon Martin’s agenda thatjust nuts and bolts.

Today, the Martin name appears on 67 trucks - 52 ofwhich are on stock haulage and 15 on tipper work.Thedominant power provider is Cummins, with ISX andSignature engines now ruling in terms of numbers.

The day we catch up with Gordon Martin and his team atcompany headquarters in Scone, NSW, Martins StockHaulage has not long completed its biggest ever lift - 62B-double loads in two days, hauling livestock valued atover $4 million.

The second half of 2003 was also one of the busiest onrecord for Martins, with the fleet moving close to sixmillion head of sheep and cattle.

“We take a lot of pride in what we do here.We have aterrific group of people.A lot of them have around 20years of service,” says Gordon Martin, who places greatvalue on employee loyalty.

“You can’t over-estimate the importance of loyalty...nocompany is worth a cracker without it,” he says sincerely,mentioning people like his livestock manager Ian O’Brien,bulk haulage manager Nigel Bailey, and group accountantKelly Harveson.

Plenty of dust and diesel have been consumed sinceGordon bought his first Cummins engine - a C160(7.6-litre in-line six) in an International C1840 - in the 1960s.

He has learned from sometimes painful experience thatin an industry as fiercely demanding and competitive aslivestock haulage, service support is critical.

“No one surpasses Cummins’ service,” says GordonMartin.“Cummins has never walked away from us, hasnever shirked a problem.You don’t realise how good theservice is until you’ve tried the other side.”

4 5

When Joe Pace says that reliable power supply is critical to Pace Farm’s newegg production facility at Wattle Ridge in central west NSW, he’s deadly serious.

The 12 vast, white buildings that rise dramatically from the arid plains in theWest Wyalong region are where Pace Farm has set a new benchmark for eggproduction in Australia.

Inside these buildings the environment is controlled to the enth degree.

Five state-of-the-art Cummins generator sets are on standby to provideemergency power at Wattle Ridge, where Pace Farm has 720,000 birds that areproducing around 690,000 eggs a day.

The birds’ daily consumption is around 85,000litres of water and 95 tonnes of wheat-based feed.

From the outside there’s no indication this is thebiggest egg production facility in the southernhemisphere. No bird noises. No smell. Nofeathers.

The Wattle Ridge operation is acknowledged as one of the most advanced inthe world in terms of flock care, product quality and disease control.

“Our investment here is close to $40 million so you could say we’re passionateabout our business,” says Joe Pace.

Joe is the son of Pace Farm founder Frank Pace, who established the companyin the late 1970s and still manages it as a family-owned business.

In fact, Pace Farm today is Australia’s largest independent egg producer withoperations across the eastern seaboard that provide nearly 20% of all of thenation’s 9.4 million eggs laid daily.

At Wattle Ridge, Cummins has installed five standby generator sets to ensurethere is no interruption to productivity in the 12 enormous sheds if there’s apower outage.

“Almost every element of the environment is controlled here - temperature,humidity, oxygen content, lighting, static pressure - so it’s critical we don’t losepower,” Joe explains.“Pace Farm staff understand how essential it is to ensurethe welfare of our hens - a continuous power supply underpins all these elements.”

Temperature is maintained at 22ºC to 24ºC regardless of the conditionsoutside, where it can reach 50ºC in the summer and plunge to minus 5ºC in thewinter. Air inside the sheds also needs to be exchanged at a controlled ratewith fresh air to ensure constant oxygen level.

Against this scene of world-class egg production, it’s easy to understand whypower supply is so crucial.

“We simulate a power outage each week to check that all our gensets andwarning systems are operational.We actually run the generators for an houreach week,” Joe explains.

“Our electricity supply from the grid is reasonable but not perfect. Since westarted here in mid-2003, we’ve had three outages where the generators havehad to run for any length of time.”

In his own mind, Joe understood the requirement for correctly specified andpackaged generator sets for emergency power.A diesel mechanic by trade, heknew that product quality and guaranteed service support were a priority for abusiness in the national foodchain spotlight.

“Above all, we wanted a low emissions package that met our own environmentalstandards and those of the EPA which applied fairly stringent emissions limits tothe site,” Joe points out.

There’s no fowl-up at this farm THE RIGHT

Working closely with Sam Buttiglieri from the Cummins Power Generationteam at Wetherill Park in Sydney, Joe decided to install latest technology dieselgensets in the form of Cummins DFEK units with a 440 kW standby rating.

These are mains-fail,auto-start units andfeature the advanced15-litre Cummins QSXengine.

The efficiency of theQSX15 focuses on itsQuantum System (QS)platform whichincorporates a full-authority electronic fueland engine managementsystem allowingcompliance to the moststringent emissionsstandards in the world.

To cater for theextreme temperaturevariations at WattleRidge, the Pace Farmgensets have 50ºCambient capability radiators, water jacket heaters, and alternatoranti-condensation heaters.

They were also installed with the industry-leading Cummins PowerCommandPCC3200 paralleling controller.

This microprocessor-based controller provides an operator interface to thegenerator set with enhanced monitoring, metering and control features. Thecontrol utilises digital voltageregulation, digital governing andsuperior generator set protectivefunctions.

The integration of these functionsinto a single control systemprovides enhanced reliability andperformance compared with anyconventional control system.

Pace Farm has new Cumminsgensets at two other facilities, inGriffith.These include a DFEK unitand also an 888 kW standby DFHDpowered by the Cummins QST30engine.

“We wanted a supplier who couldassure us of back-up support, andCummins was able to do thatthrough its facilities at Leeton andWodonga,” Joe points out.

The biggest and most advanced egg production facility in the southern hemisphere where 720,000 birds produce around 690,000 eggs a day. Five state-of-the-artCummins generators are on standby to provide emergency power to the facility.

Joe Pace (left) who manages the Wattle Ridge facility withSam Buttiglieri from the Cummins Power Generation team atWetherill Park in Sydney.

Cummins genset rated at 440 kW is powered by theadvanced 15-litre QSX engine which features a full-authority electronic fuel and engine managementsystem allowing compliance to the most stringentemissions standards in the world.

Gordon Martin (right)with Bob Richardson.“We take a lot of pridein what we do here.Wehave a terrific group ofpeople,” says Gordon.

BREEDBREED

Mike Fowler,previously CumminsTamworth servicemanager and nowNSW automotivebusiness manager,ensures servicesupport to Martins isat the highest level.

Signature-powered Kenworths dominate in theMartins fleet which today comprises more than60 trucks on livestock and bulk haulage duties.

The Westpac Rescue HelicopterService is a favourite charitywith Martins Stock Haulage.

His remembers his first Cummins-powered truck, a 160 hpInternational C1840, doing an “unreal job as a single driveprime mover, carting three decks of lambs everywhere”.

“Our first big Cummins motor was the (14-litre) NTCrated at 335 hp, and that was in a Transtar cab-over thatwe bought in the very early 1970s.That was one of thebest trucks ever to come to Australia,” he saysemphatically.

He grimaces at the memory of a couple of V555 engineshe operated, but smiles when talking about the V903 andthe 290 and 300 hp 14-litre N-series engines he had greatsuccess with later in the 70s and through the 80s.

The electronic N14 Celect carved out a presence in the’90s and then followed the 15-litre ISX and Signature ofwhich Martins now has more than 40 in service.

The culture within the Martin operation today is certainlynot all about nuts and bolts.The Westpac RescueHelicopter Service is a favourite charity with all 100-plusemployees donating $2 a week from their pay packets tothe service.This donation is then matched by thecompany. Other community causes are stronglysupported.

The right breed, indeed!

The recent recordstock lift by Martinssaw Cumminsservice personnelput on alert alongthe route, ready forrapid response in theevent of a problem.The fleet ofSignature and N14engines performedfaultlessly,contributing to thehighly successful lift.

“One phone call before the event (to then CumminsTamworth service manager Mike Fowler) and we knewCummins would be up to speed.That kind ofsupport is very important to us,” saysMartins’ resource manager Bob Richardson.

Today, more than ever before, Martins StockHaulage is conscious of its image and the factit’s an important player in the food chain.

“We’re looking to improve ourselves all thetime,” says Bob Richardson.“We have toalways be conscious of the fact we’re a majorplayer in the food chain, and that animalwelfare is a priority.

“Once we have animals in our control wehave total responsibility for what is live andperishable freight, and we can’t afford to havetrucks broken down.”

Livestock hasn’t always been the biggest portion ofGordon Martin’s transport business. In the 1980s he had60 of his own trucks, plus 80 subbies, carting coal in theHunter Valley before the business was sold to Boralin 1989.

At that time he had only six stock trucks, but through the’90s significant fleet growth was driven by market demandas well as a number of acquisitions, including Finemores’stock haulage business in 1997. Early this year,Walkers ofDubbo was added to the acquisition list.

Kenworth is the entrenched truck brand at Martins, and aprogram is currently underway with up to 12 of thecompany’s T950s being repowered to extend theireconomical life to eight years from the normal four tofive years.

Cummins Tamworth is doing the repowers, slotting newGeneration II Signature 580s between the frame rails oncethe original N14 engines have done between 1.5 and 1.9million kilometres.

All new trucks are also being fitted with CumminsCentinel oil management systems which eliminate oilchanges and waste oil disposal.

After 45 years in road transport it’s not hard to imaginethe wealth of knowledge Gordon Martin has passed onto his team.“I know a few of the pitfalls,” he says in aclassic understatement.

Mostly a smile, butoccasionally a grimace,creases his face as he tracksthrough the years, preciselyrelating his experiences withvarious trucks and engines.

He has been around thelivestock game long enough -45 years, in fact - to knowwhat works and whatdoesn’t. But there’s more toGordon Martin’s agenda thatjust nuts and bolts.

Today, the Martin name appears on 67 trucks - 52 ofwhich are on stock haulage and 15 on tipper work.Thedominant power provider is Cummins, with ISX andSignature engines now ruling in terms of numbers.

The day we catch up with Gordon Martin and his team atcompany headquarters in Scone, NSW, Martins StockHaulage has not long completed its biggest ever lift - 62B-double loads in two days, hauling livestock valued atover $4 million.

The second half of 2003 was also one of the busiest onrecord for Martins, with the fleet moving close to sixmillion head of sheep and cattle.

“We take a lot of pride in what we do here.We have aterrific group of people.A lot of them have around 20years of service,” says Gordon Martin, who places greatvalue on employee loyalty.

“You can’t over-estimate the importance of loyalty...nocompany is worth a cracker without it,” he says sincerely,mentioning people like his livestock manager Ian O’Brien,bulk haulage manager Nigel Bailey, and group accountantKelly Harveson.

Plenty of dust and diesel have been consumed sinceGordon bought his first Cummins engine - a C160(7.6-litre in-line six) in an International C1840 - in the 1960s.

He has learned from sometimes painful experience thatin an industry as fiercely demanding and competitive aslivestock haulage, service support is critical.

“No one surpasses Cummins’ service,” says GordonMartin.“Cummins has never walked away from us, hasnever shirked a problem.You don’t realise how good theservice is until you’ve tried the other side.”

4 5

When Joe Pace says that reliable power supply is critical to Pace Farm’s newegg production facility at Wattle Ridge in central west NSW, he’s deadly serious.

The 12 vast, white buildings that rise dramatically from the arid plains in theWest Wyalong region are where Pace Farm has set a new benchmark for eggproduction in Australia.

Inside these buildings the environment is controlled to the enth degree.

Five state-of-the-art Cummins generator sets are on standby to provideemergency power at Wattle Ridge, where Pace Farm has 720,000 birds that areproducing around 690,000 eggs a day.

The birds’ daily consumption is around 85,000litres of water and 95 tonnes of wheat-based feed.

From the outside there’s no indication this is thebiggest egg production facility in the southernhemisphere. No bird noises. No smell. Nofeathers.

The Wattle Ridge operation is acknowledged as one of the most advanced inthe world in terms of flock care, product quality and disease control.

“Our investment here is close to $40 million so you could say we’re passionateabout our business,” says Joe Pace.

Joe is the son of Pace Farm founder Frank Pace, who established the companyin the late 1970s and still manages it as a family-owned business.

In fact, Pace Farm today is Australia’s largest independent egg producer withoperations across the eastern seaboard that provide nearly 20% of all of thenation’s 9.4 million eggs laid daily.

At Wattle Ridge, Cummins has installed five standby generator sets to ensurethere is no interruption to productivity in the 12 enormous sheds if there’s apower outage.

“Almost every element of the environment is controlled here - temperature,humidity, oxygen content, lighting, static pressure - so it’s critical we don’t losepower,” Joe explains.“Pace Farm staff understand how essential it is to ensurethe welfare of our hens - a continuous power supply underpins all these elements.”

Temperature is maintained at 22ºC to 24ºC regardless of the conditionsoutside, where it can reach 50ºC in the summer and plunge to minus 5ºC in thewinter. Air inside the sheds also needs to be exchanged at a controlled ratewith fresh air to ensure constant oxygen level.

Against this scene of world-class egg production, it’s easy to understand whypower supply is so crucial.

“We simulate a power outage each week to check that all our gensets andwarning systems are operational.We actually run the generators for an houreach week,” Joe explains.

“Our electricity supply from the grid is reasonable but not perfect. Since westarted here in mid-2003, we’ve had three outages where the generators havehad to run for any length of time.”

In his own mind, Joe understood the requirement for correctly specified andpackaged generator sets for emergency power.A diesel mechanic by trade, heknew that product quality and guaranteed service support were a priority for abusiness in the national foodchain spotlight.

“Above all, we wanted a low emissions package that met our own environmentalstandards and those of the EPA which applied fairly stringent emissions limits tothe site,” Joe points out.

There’s no fowl-up at this farm THE RIGHT

Working closely with Sam Buttiglieri from the Cummins Power Generationteam at Wetherill Park in Sydney, Joe decided to install latest technology dieselgensets in the form of Cummins DFEK units with a 440 kW standby rating.

These are mains-fail,auto-start units andfeature the advanced15-litre Cummins QSXengine.

The efficiency of theQSX15 focuses on itsQuantum System (QS)platform whichincorporates a full-authority electronic fueland engine managementsystem allowingcompliance to the moststringent emissionsstandards in the world.

To cater for theextreme temperaturevariations at WattleRidge, the Pace Farmgensets have 50ºCambient capability radiators, water jacket heaters, and alternatoranti-condensation heaters.

They were also installed with the industry-leading Cummins PowerCommandPCC3200 paralleling controller.

This microprocessor-based controller provides an operator interface to thegenerator set with enhanced monitoring, metering and control features. Thecontrol utilises digital voltageregulation, digital governing andsuperior generator set protectivefunctions.

The integration of these functionsinto a single control systemprovides enhanced reliability andperformance compared with anyconventional control system.

Pace Farm has new Cumminsgensets at two other facilities, inGriffith.These include a DFEK unitand also an 888 kW standby DFHDpowered by the Cummins QST30engine.

“We wanted a supplier who couldassure us of back-up support, andCummins was able to do thatthrough its facilities at Leeton andWodonga,” Joe points out.

The biggest and most advanced egg production facility in the southern hemisphere where 720,000 birds produce around 690,000 eggs a day. Five state-of-the-artCummins generators are on standby to provide emergency power to the facility.

Joe Pace (left) who manages the Wattle Ridge facility withSam Buttiglieri from the Cummins Power Generation team atWetherill Park in Sydney.

Cummins genset rated at 440 kW is powered by theadvanced 15-litre QSX engine which features a full-authority electronic fuel and engine managementsystem allowing compliance to the most stringentemissions standards in the world.

Gordon Martin (right)with Bob Richardson.“We take a lot of pridein what we do here.Wehave a terrific group ofpeople,” says Gordon.

BREEDBREED

Mike Fowler,previously CumminsTamworth servicemanager and nowNSW automotivebusiness manager,ensures servicesupport to Martins isat the highest level.

Signature-powered Kenworths dominate in theMartins fleet which today comprises more than60 trucks on livestock and bulk haulage duties.

The Westpac Rescue HelicopterService is a favourite charitywith Martins Stock Haulage.

The mightiest Cummins engine of all, the 3,500 hp QSK78,is now being actively considered at Australian mines for‘ultra-class’ haul truck application.

The 78-litre V18 is in production at the Cummins highhorsepower plant at Daventry in the UK, alongside the KVand QSK45/QSK60 engine families.

Testing of the QSK78 began at the high altitudeChuquicamata mine in Chile in April 2003, installed in aKomatsu 930SE electric-drive truck of 330 tons capacity.

Since that time the awesome 12-turbo, 3,500 hp Cumminshas consistently been available around 98% of the time - aperformance that rival engines of similar horsepower havebeen unable to match at Chuquicamata.

The first commercial order for the QSK78 is from RioTinto’s Bingham Canyon Mine in Utah, US, which hasordered four Komatsu 930SE trucks with the mostpowerful engine ever produced by Cummins.

During a recent visit to Australia, the general manager ofCummins’ worldwide mining business, Ed Claypool,explained the significance of the QSK78’s performance atthe Chuquicamata copper mine.

The mine is the largest man-made hole in the world. It is800 metres deep and sits at an altitude of 2,800 metres(close to 10,000 ft). It provides one of the world’s toughestduty cycles for any mining truck engine.

“Coming out of the pit at Chuquicamata the QSK78 isoperating at 100% load for around 45 minutes,” said EdClaypool.“The engine is running very well as its 98 percentavailability shows.”

He said the high level of uptime achieved by the QSK78in its first 12 months of operation had set a newbenchmark for a newly-released Cummins highhorsepower engine.

“Compared with the QSK60 (2,700 hp), the QSK78 hasa 30% increase in displacement for a 30% increase inhorsepower, so there’s no increase in stress on thecomponents,” he pointed out.

He said the air handling system on the QSK78 - andalso on the QSK60 - was one of the keys to improvedreliability and durability.The system features acombination of six aftercoolers and two intercoolers,the result of which is cooler intake air to bettermanage the power cylinder temperatures and turbineinlet temperatures.

76

The Steiger tractor has alwaysbeen about power.The morehorses, the better.

Cummins’ 15-litre QSX15 enginehas been the propelling forcebehind Case IH’s STX-series ofSteiger tractors that wereintroduced in 2000 with anindustry-leading output of 440 hp.

Now Case IH has hoisted theperformance bar again, announcinga 500 hp STX500 Steiger. In fact,the electronic Cummins punchesout a peak of 550 hp at 1800 rpm,extra kick that is creating interestamong Australian farmers.

Kenway & Clark is a leading CaseIH dealer based at Moree in

north-west NSW. In the mid-80s the company gained global recognition when it soldmore Steigers than anyone else in the world.

In the last couple of years, the company - also a Cummins dealer - hasn’t set any salesrecords because of the drought, but that could turnaround this year with follow-uprain. Floods early in the year were an encouraging start.

Eager to get Steiger sales cranked up again is Mark Gillan, a member of the Kenway &Clark team who expects toplough new ground with theSTX500 Steiger in broadacrefarming.

“Some farmers are looking atpulling bigger gear such as 80-footplanters,” Mark explains.“That’swhere the interest is coming fromfor the higher power tractor.”

Not that performance has beenan issue with existing Steigers inhis territory.

Build it big, build it strong,

Jock Hunter...“We’vehad a few Cumminsengines over theyears and we haven’tworn one out yet...”

Bigger, better, redder...In the winter of 1957 Minnesota farmers Douglas and Maurice Steiger builta big strong four-wheel-drive tractor that would enable them to get morework done on their farm.

The brothers built the tractor in their barn, mainly from salvaged truckparts.A 238 hp diesel engine gave it more power than any other tractor onthe market.

Neighbouring farmers liked the tractor and requested a ‘Steiger’ of theirown.Around 120 tractors were built on the farm until 1969 when thebrothers set up their business as a company and established amanufacturing plant in Fargo, North Dakota.

Chile’s Chuquicamata copper mine, the largest man-madehole in the world where the Cummins QSK78 has set a newperformance standard.

The air handlingsystem on theelectronicallycontrolledQSK78 is one ofthe keys to itsimpressivereliability anddurability.

The Chuquicamata mine, where the QSK78 hasbeen on test, is at an altitude of 2,800 metres andprovides one of the world’s toughest duty cycles fora mining truck engine.

It hasn’t taken long forCummins’ recently announcedQSK23 engine to fire up in amining application in Australia.

The 23-litre, in-line six cylinderCummins Quantum engine is now available as a repowerkit for Hitachi’s EX1200 hydraulic excavator to providehigher levels of reliability, durability and performance.

The QSK23 punches out 675 hp at 1650 rpm in theEX1200, the first unit of which is operating successfully inthe Hunter Valley.This is also the first excavatorapplication in the world for the QSK23.

“Customers wanted the option of Cummins power in theEX1200 so we worked with Hitachi ConstructionMachinery Australia to develop the repower package,”

Quantum repower for Hitachi excavator

One of his customers is Jock Hunter who farms 22,000 acres north-west of Moree.Wheat is his main crop, and Jock has four Cummins-powered tractors for cultivatingand planting.

“We’ve missed three summer and two winter crops because of the drought,” saysJock, chewing the fat about this and that.“That’s a big hole in anyone’s income.”

The conversation rolls around to his tractors.“We’ve had a few Cummins engines overthe years and we haven’t worn one out yet...the tractors seem to wear out before theengines,” he says, laughing.

On a serious note, he’s quick to point out that his latest model tractor, a SteigerSTX440 Quadtrac, has been “perfect” in the two and a half years he has had it. “Wecertainly couldn’t fault its performance,” he says.

He chose the Quadtrac design for reduced compaction and its ability to get the powerto the ground.“Going to tracks is one of the biggest benefits we’ve seen in recentyears,” he says.

First introduced by Case in 1996, the Quadtrac continues to be the only tractor in theindustry with four independent tracks. Power from the dual overhead cam Cumminsreaches the tracks via a 16-speed powershift transmission.Wheel slip with Quadtrac isonly 3% to 5% compared with 12% to 14% for the wheeled version of the tractor.

Kenway & Clark’s reputation for back-up and support is another reason for JockHunter’s preference for the Case IH product.

The same reason is given by Tony Scriven and son Terry from Mungindi who have anSTX450 Steiger Quadtrac, one of four tractors they use on a farm of 7,000 acres.

“The STX is doing a real good job...it’s a pleasure to drive,” Terry points out.

He’s impressed with the fuel efficiencyof the 450 hp Steiger which has typicallyaveraged 2 litres/hectare when sowingand up to 7 litres/hectare when rippingin virgin country.

Productivity rates highly, too.“In a 12-hour period we cansow 400 acres pulling a 60-footmachine, and that includesdowntime for filling the airseeder and checking the gear,”Terry points out.

Another benefit is the ability toset engine speed at a constantrpm.As Terry explains, whenthey’re fertilising with 60 ftgear, constant speed operationmeans far greater accuracy atthe end of the day in terms offertiliser distribution.

Cummins Tamworth branch manager DavePaddison (left) and Kenway & Clark’s MarkGillan discuss the performance of the Steigerwith Jock Hunter.

Steiger Quadtrac is impressing with itsperformance in the Moree region of NSW.

build it fast

A professional management team was assembled to run the company and in1969 the Series I Steiger tractors hit the market with names like Wildcat,Super Wildcat, Bearcat, Cougar and Tiger.

Customers liked the tractors and by 1979 the Fargo plant had turned out its10,000th four-wheel-drive tractor.

Steiger’s boom went bust in the 1980s with the worldwide farm economystruggling, and in 1986 the company filed for bankruptcy protection. Soonafter,Tenneco, the parent company of Case, acquired the Steiger business.

Case started painting Steiger tractors red instead of the original green, butotherwise the Steiger tradition has been maintained - a tradition that hasbecome a mainstay for many farmers around the world.

QSK78... ready to rumble in‘ultra-class’ truck

says Venkat Bommakanti, Cummins South Pacificbusiness manager for industrial products.

A Mitsubishi engine is standard fitment in the EX1200which is manufactured in Japan and has an operatingweight of 111 tonnes in a shovel configuration.

The QSK23 repower installation was carried out byCummins South Pacific’s industrial engineering teamheaded up by Sean McLean.The team used 3D CADmodelling to ensure design accuracy.

The rating specified by Hitachi for the electronicallycontrolled QSK23 - 675 hp at 1650 rpm - alsorequired a special ECM calibration to be developedby Danni Pietsch, a former Cummins South Pacificengineer now based at Cummins worldheadquarters in Columbus, Indiana.

The standard QSK23 ratings span 760 to 950 hp, allat 2100 rpm.

The QSK23 was developed specifically for high dutycycle applications in the mining and constructionindustries. It uses the block and crankshaft of a longestablished engine design coupled to new piston, cylinderhead, fuel injection and electronics technology.

The engine features a full-authority electronicmanagement system that is part of the Quantumtechnology platform utilised across Cummins’ highhorsepower line-up, right through to the 18-cylinder78-litre QSK78.

This electronic control is a critical element in meetingcurrent and future emissions regulations.

The first Hitachi excavatorto be repowered with theCummins QSK23 isoperating successfully inthe Hunter Valley, NSW.

Cumminsindustrialengineering teamused 3D CADmodelling toensure designaccuracy.

The mightiest Cummins engine of all, the 3,500 hp QSK78,is now being actively considered at Australian mines for‘ultra-class’ haul truck application.

The 78-litre V18 is in production at the Cummins highhorsepower plant at Daventry in the UK, alongside the KVand QSK45/QSK60 engine families.

Testing of the QSK78 began at the high altitudeChuquicamata mine in Chile in April 2003, installed in aKomatsu 930SE electric-drive truck of 330 tons capacity.

Since that time the awesome 12-turbo, 3,500 hp Cumminshas consistently been available around 98% of the time - aperformance that rival engines of similar horsepower havebeen unable to match at Chuquicamata.

The first commercial order for the QSK78 is from RioTinto’s Bingham Canyon Mine in Utah, US, which hasordered four Komatsu 930SE trucks with the mostpowerful engine ever produced by Cummins.

During a recent visit to Australia, the general manager ofCummins’ worldwide mining business, Ed Claypool,explained the significance of the QSK78’s performance atthe Chuquicamata copper mine.

The mine is the largest man-made hole in the world. It is800 metres deep and sits at an altitude of 2,800 metres(close to 10,000 ft). It provides one of the world’s toughestduty cycles for any mining truck engine.

“Coming out of the pit at Chuquicamata the QSK78 isoperating at 100% load for around 45 minutes,” said EdClaypool.“The engine is running very well as its 98 percentavailability shows.”

He said the high level of uptime achieved by the QSK78in its first 12 months of operation had set a newbenchmark for a newly-released Cummins highhorsepower engine.

“Compared with the QSK60 (2,700 hp), the QSK78 hasa 30% increase in displacement for a 30% increase inhorsepower, so there’s no increase in stress on thecomponents,” he pointed out.

He said the air handling system on the QSK78 - andalso on the QSK60 - was one of the keys to improvedreliability and durability.The system features acombination of six aftercoolers and two intercoolers,the result of which is cooler intake air to bettermanage the power cylinder temperatures and turbineinlet temperatures.

76

The Steiger tractor has alwaysbeen about power.The morehorses, the better.

Cummins’ 15-litre QSX15 enginehas been the propelling forcebehind Case IH’s STX-series ofSteiger tractors that wereintroduced in 2000 with anindustry-leading output of 440 hp.

Now Case IH has hoisted theperformance bar again, announcinga 500 hp STX500 Steiger. In fact,the electronic Cummins punchesout a peak of 550 hp at 1800 rpm,extra kick that is creating interestamong Australian farmers.

Kenway & Clark is a leading CaseIH dealer based at Moree in

north-west NSW. In the mid-80s the company gained global recognition when it soldmore Steigers than anyone else in the world.

In the last couple of years, the company - also a Cummins dealer - hasn’t set any salesrecords because of the drought, but that could turnaround this year with follow-uprain. Floods early in the year were an encouraging start.

Eager to get Steiger sales cranked up again is Mark Gillan, a member of the Kenway &Clark team who expects toplough new ground with theSTX500 Steiger in broadacrefarming.

“Some farmers are looking atpulling bigger gear such as 80-footplanters,” Mark explains.“That’swhere the interest is coming fromfor the higher power tractor.”

Not that performance has beenan issue with existing Steigers inhis territory.

Build it big, build it strong,

Jock Hunter...“We’vehad a few Cumminsengines over theyears and we haven’tworn one out yet...”

Bigger, better, redder...In the winter of 1957 Minnesota farmers Douglas and Maurice Steiger builta big strong four-wheel-drive tractor that would enable them to get morework done on their farm.

The brothers built the tractor in their barn, mainly from salvaged truckparts.A 238 hp diesel engine gave it more power than any other tractor onthe market.

Neighbouring farmers liked the tractor and requested a ‘Steiger’ of theirown.Around 120 tractors were built on the farm until 1969 when thebrothers set up their business as a company and established amanufacturing plant in Fargo, North Dakota.

Chile’s Chuquicamata copper mine, the largest man-madehole in the world where the Cummins QSK78 has set a newperformance standard.

The air handlingsystem on theelectronicallycontrolledQSK78 is one ofthe keys to itsimpressivereliability anddurability.

The Chuquicamata mine, where the QSK78 hasbeen on test, is at an altitude of 2,800 metres andprovides one of the world’s toughest duty cycles fora mining truck engine.

It hasn’t taken long forCummins’ recently announcedQSK23 engine to fire up in amining application in Australia.

The 23-litre, in-line six cylinderCummins Quantum engine is now available as a repowerkit for Hitachi’s EX1200 hydraulic excavator to providehigher levels of reliability, durability and performance.

The QSK23 punches out 675 hp at 1650 rpm in theEX1200, the first unit of which is operating successfully inthe Hunter Valley.This is also the first excavatorapplication in the world for the QSK23.

“Customers wanted the option of Cummins power in theEX1200 so we worked with Hitachi ConstructionMachinery Australia to develop the repower package,”

Quantum repower for Hitachi excavator

One of his customers is Jock Hunter who farms 22,000 acres north-west of Moree.Wheat is his main crop, and Jock has four Cummins-powered tractors for cultivatingand planting.

“We’ve missed three summer and two winter crops because of the drought,” saysJock, chewing the fat about this and that.“That’s a big hole in anyone’s income.”

The conversation rolls around to his tractors.“We’ve had a few Cummins engines overthe years and we haven’t worn one out yet...the tractors seem to wear out before theengines,” he says, laughing.

On a serious note, he’s quick to point out that his latest model tractor, a SteigerSTX440 Quadtrac, has been “perfect” in the two and a half years he has had it. “Wecertainly couldn’t fault its performance,” he says.

He chose the Quadtrac design for reduced compaction and its ability to get the powerto the ground.“Going to tracks is one of the biggest benefits we’ve seen in recentyears,” he says.

First introduced by Case in 1996, the Quadtrac continues to be the only tractor in theindustry with four independent tracks. Power from the dual overhead cam Cumminsreaches the tracks via a 16-speed powershift transmission.Wheel slip with Quadtrac isonly 3% to 5% compared with 12% to 14% for the wheeled version of the tractor.

Kenway & Clark’s reputation for back-up and support is another reason for JockHunter’s preference for the Case IH product.

The same reason is given by Tony Scriven and son Terry from Mungindi who have anSTX450 Steiger Quadtrac, one of four tractors they use on a farm of 7,000 acres.

“The STX is doing a real good job...it’s a pleasure to drive,” Terry points out.

He’s impressed with the fuel efficiencyof the 450 hp Steiger which has typicallyaveraged 2 litres/hectare when sowingand up to 7 litres/hectare when rippingin virgin country.

Productivity rates highly, too.“In a 12-hour period we cansow 400 acres pulling a 60-footmachine, and that includesdowntime for filling the airseeder and checking the gear,”Terry points out.

Another benefit is the ability toset engine speed at a constantrpm.As Terry explains, whenthey’re fertilising with 60 ftgear, constant speed operationmeans far greater accuracy atthe end of the day in terms offertiliser distribution.

Cummins Tamworth branch manager DavePaddison (left) and Kenway & Clark’s MarkGillan discuss the performance of the Steigerwith Jock Hunter.

Steiger Quadtrac is impressing with itsperformance in the Moree region of NSW.

build it fast

A professional management team was assembled to run the company and in1969 the Series I Steiger tractors hit the market with names like Wildcat,Super Wildcat, Bearcat, Cougar and Tiger.

Customers liked the tractors and by 1979 the Fargo plant had turned out its10,000th four-wheel-drive tractor.

Steiger’s boom went bust in the 1980s with the worldwide farm economystruggling, and in 1986 the company filed for bankruptcy protection. Soonafter,Tenneco, the parent company of Case, acquired the Steiger business.

Case started painting Steiger tractors red instead of the original green, butotherwise the Steiger tradition has been maintained - a tradition that hasbecome a mainstay for many farmers around the world.

QSK78... ready to rumble in‘ultra-class’ truck

says Venkat Bommakanti, Cummins South Pacificbusiness manager for industrial products.

A Mitsubishi engine is standard fitment in the EX1200which is manufactured in Japan and has an operatingweight of 111 tonnes in a shovel configuration.

The QSK23 repower installation was carried out byCummins South Pacific’s industrial engineering teamheaded up by Sean McLean.The team used 3D CADmodelling to ensure design accuracy.

The rating specified by Hitachi for the electronicallycontrolled QSK23 - 675 hp at 1650 rpm - alsorequired a special ECM calibration to be developedby Danni Pietsch, a former Cummins South Pacificengineer now based at Cummins worldheadquarters in Columbus, Indiana.

The standard QSK23 ratings span 760 to 950 hp, allat 2100 rpm.

The QSK23 was developed specifically for high dutycycle applications in the mining and constructionindustries. It uses the block and crankshaft of a longestablished engine design coupled to new piston, cylinderhead, fuel injection and electronics technology.

The engine features a full-authority electronicmanagement system that is part of the Quantumtechnology platform utilised across Cummins’ highhorsepower line-up, right through to the 18-cylinder78-litre QSK78.

This electronic control is a critical element in meetingcurrent and future emissions regulations.

The first Hitachi excavatorto be repowered with theCummins QSK23 isoperating successfully inthe Hunter Valley, NSW.

Cumminsindustrialengineering teamused 3D CADmodelling toensure designaccuracy.

Cummins Power Rent was called in to provide the standby power because ofits ability to meet the specific needs of the customer, including construction ofa special mounting frame for the containers in a space-restricted area.

The frame allows the gensetcontainers to sit on top of othercontainers that are used forstorage.

“We were able to meet thecustomer’s exact requirements interms of electrical capacity as wellas provide on-board fuel tanks forextended operation,” says SamButtiglieri, Cummins Power Rentmanager in NSW.

Two Cummins Power Rent generator sets areproviding emergency standby power to Sydney’s$680 million Cross City Tunnel during itsconstruction.

The tunnel, which will open in 2005 as a vital linkin Sydney’s orbital motorway network, will removemore than 90,000 vehicles a day from CBD streets.

The project involves the construction of twintunnels, each 2.1 km long, with around 680,000

tonnes of rock and earth needing to be excavated.

It is one of the most technically challenging road tunnel projects everundertaken in Australia.

The Cummins gensets are paralleled to provide a total of 1.7 MW of power.They are housed in 30 ft ISO containers with on-board 3,000-litre fuel tanks.

8 9

Tony Bardenhagen, 71, has been in the logging game inTasmania for more than 50 years. “I’ve been driving logtrucks for 53 years,” he states with a definite tone of pride.

Today, the Bardenhagen business, which has always beenbased at Lilydale in Tasmania’s north east, is intoharvesting, trucking, processing and sawmilling, and tradesas A&S Bardenhagen Pty Ltd.

The company, which runs a fleet of 10 log trucks, harvestsaround 95,000 tonnes of wood a year and produces30,000 tonnes of processed chips.

Tony, whose distaste for office work still sees him drivinga log truck daily, has son Leigh and daughter Marieinvolved in the company.“I started off driving a 26 hptruck and now I’m in a 580 hp truck,” he exclaims.

Tony’s father, Harvey Vernon Bardenhagen, started thebusiness although Tony’s not exactly sure when thathappened.“I was born in 1933 and he had some trucksthen,” says Tony.

“Before I saw daylight, my father had lost his leg in aloading accident. He had a wooden leg but that didn’tstop him from carting saw logs. He ended his workingdays operating school buses and a service station.

“I started working for my father in 1951 driving a truck.That was a KS7 International which had a 30 hp petrolmotor and a gas producer from new.”

Tony remembers his father operating five or six truckswith charcoal-burning gas producers during the war.Thecharcoal would be loaded into a hopper behind the caband the gas that was produced, essentially carbon

The changeout of the first CumminsQSK60 engine in the Hunter Valleycoalfields has gone ahead smoothly, withminimal disruption to the Bengallaopen-cut mine.

Four 2,700 hp QSK60 engines went intoservice in Euclid R280 haul trucks at theBengalla mine in 2000 with a fifth added tothe fleet in December 2002.

Hitachi’s hydraulic excavators claim honours

monoxide, would operate thepetrol engine.“I think they werea bit low on power,” Tony recallswith a laugh.

The logging industry obviouslyruns in the Bardenhagen blood.Tony’s older brother Frankoperated three sawmills as wellas a fleet of bulldozers andInternational trucks at one time.

The Bardenhagen truck fleettoday is dominated by Cummins-powered Internationals, rangingfrom two imported 9900 Eagleswith Signature 580 power to a1976 model ACCO 3070A with aCummins 903.

Amazingly,Tony drove this 3070Afor 20 years until early this yearwhen he finally decided his

troublesome back needed some relief and he slipped intoa new Iveco PowerStar with a Signature 580.

“I’m often asked why I bother to keep driving and I say, ‘Ijust like it’.At times I’ve thought about giving it upbecause of my bad back, but now that I’m in thePowerStar I’m enjoying it even more,” he says.

Tony admits with a tinge of regret that the ACCO 3070isn’t working much these days. “I’ve got a lot of goodmemories of this truck,” he says sincerely.“The 903 was areally good engine. It was a bit smoky in town but it wasalright out in the country.”

Cummins and International have long been theunchallenged champions of the Bardenhagen operation.

The return of the International truck brand to Australiain the form of the 9200 and 9900 conventionals from theUS (now being built in Australia) has eased the pain Tonyfelt when the Iveco name took precedence.

“Over the years we’d have had 60 International trucks,”says Tony, who last year received a surprise 70th birthdaypresent in the form of a restored KS5 International fromthe 1940s.

“Our first Cummins engine was a V504 and wetransplanted that into an International Loadstar in theearly 60s,” Tony points out.

The Cummins line-up today includes the 350 hp 903, a444, a couple of N14 Celects rated at 525 hp, and fiveSignatures - one rated at 520 hp, the others at 580 hp.

“The Signatures are running beautifully,” says Tony,satisfied.“Their engine brake is magic in our kind of workand they do the tough stuff so easy.”

Explaining the reasons for the uncompromising loyalty tothe Cummins and International brands,Tony says it’s allabout the performance of the products as well asrepaying loyalty with loyalty.

“In Cummins’ case, the commitment of Rob Criggie(Cummins’ manager in Tasmania) and his people can’t befaulted,” he says firmly.“Their after sales support isexcellent.”

Tony Bardenhagen with daughter Marie.

Tony Bardenhagen with the KS5International he received as a surprisepresent on his 70th birthday last year.

One of the two Signature-powered IvecoPowerStars in the Bardenhagen fleet.

International 9900 Eagles with Cummins Signature580 power are impressing in the Bardenhagenoperation.

Early this year the first units logged 20,000hours in service.

A brand new QSK60 from CumminsNewcastle’s mining enginesupport bank started theoverhaul ball rolling in May withits installation in the oldestEuclid R280. The old enginewas sent to the CumminsNewcastle overhaul facility tobegin the rebuild process inpreparation for its fitment inthe second Euclid.

The rebuild process hasinvolved complete enginedisassembly, replacement ofmore than 260 different partsline items, and full dyno testingon completion of the overhaulusing Cummins Newcastle’s3,500 hp Taylor dyno.

Diesel technicians from Cummins’Muswellbrook facility in the Hunter Valleyworked closely with Bengalla’s own crewsof technicians in the removal of the first oldQSK60 and installation of the new engine.

The original plan was for the QSK60engines to be rebuilt at 18,000 hours, but

subsequent experience in the fieldindicated that life-to-overhaul could beextended beyond 20,000 hours.A mid-lifeinspection of key components at 9,000hours also showed the engine internals tobe in excellent condition.

Since Bengalla’s QSK60s werecommissioned in 2000, more than 50 ofthe 45-litre and 60-litre QSK Cumminsengines have gone to work poweringhydraulic excavators, loaders and haultrucks in open cut coal mining in theHunter Valley.

Bengalla maintenance personnel reportthat Cummins’ service support - responsetime, in particular - has improved over thelast 12 to 18 months since theestablishment of the ‘satellite’ Cumminsbranch at Muswellbrook in the heart of theHunter Valley.

The branch is a two-shift operation(7 am to 11 pm) with 16 technicians and15 service vehicles.Afterhours/weekendparts and service are catered for through abreakdown support system.

Any downtime at Bengalla has high impactbecause of the mine’s relatively small fleetof trucks.

“We don’t have redundant equipment here

Cummins ‘satellite’ branch at Muswellbrook in the heart of the HunterValley mining region has 15 service vehicles dedicated to fast response.

so we need to get any problems fixed asquickly as possible,” Bengalla’s maintenanceco-ordinator points out.

“We’re a 10-truck operation and if wehave two trucks down that’s 20 per cent ofthe fleet which has a big impact on ourability to hit material movement targets. Sowe need to be assured of parts availabilityand back-up service.”

The Bengalla mine itself has changed theway it carries out maintenance, withmaintenance planning and scheduling nowin the hands of Bengalla personnel.

“We have a team here that has a lot ofurgency about making things happen,” hesays.“We’re focusing on costs, on smarterways of doing things.”

The Bengalla mine opened in 1998 andcurrently produces more than six milliontonnes of domestic and export steamingcoal a year. Rio Tinto Coal Australiamanages the mine for the mine’s four jointventure partners - Coal and AlliedIndustries,Wesfarmers Ltd,Taipower andMitsui Coal.

The mine is recognised as anindustry leader in environmentalnoise management whilemaintaining its focus as a miningoperation.The strictenvironmental conditions aredue to the mine’s closeness tothe township of Muswellbrook.

Watching Bengalla’s Cummins-powered Euclids at work clearlydemonstrates the strictenvironmental standards in placeat the mine with engineencapsulation resulting inextremely quiet trucks.

Hauling payloads in excess of250 tonnes - fully loaded weightof the Euclids is around 450tonnes - the big 60-litre V16sare still working in the comfort

zone with engine load factors of around 31%.

One of the five QSK60-powered EuclidR280 haul trucks in operation at theBengalla mine.The first engines wereoverhauled after 22,000 hours’ service.

New QSK60 from Cummins Newcastle’s miningengine support bank is readied for installation inEuclid R280.

Hitachi’s ‘Excellence in Excavators’ has been recognised by Cumminsin Australia.

At a special presentation in Brisbane, Hitachi representatives Tony Tito,Phil Twining and Peter Woodley received a special award fromCummins’ general manager of worldwide mining business Ed Claypool,and managing director of Cummins South Pacific Gino Butera.

Hitachi has claimed market leadership in Australia with hydraulicexcavators powered by Cummins’ 45-litre,V12 Quantum engine,the QSK45.

In fact, Hitachi was world No.1 in the hydraulic excavator marketin 2003 for machines rated 160 tons and above, with 32% share.

In the same market segment, Cummins was overwhelminglydominant with 71% share, having supplied engines to Hitachi,Komatsu, Liebherr, and Terex/O&K.

60-litre Cummins engines rejuvenate Euclids after 20,000-hour overhauls

Cummins managing director Gino Butera (left)making the special presentation to Hitachirepresentatives (from left) Phil Twining, PeterWoodley and Tony Tito.

Hitachi excavator with Cummins QSK45power at work in the Hunter Valley.

Cummins Power Rent on standbyat under-Sydney tunnel

There’s no chip on Tony’s shoulder

Cummins Power Rent was called in to provide the standby power because ofits ability to meet the specific needs of the customer, including construction ofa special mounting frame for the containers in a space-restricted area.

The frame allows the gensetcontainers to sit on top of othercontainers that are used forstorage.

“We were able to meet thecustomer’s exact requirements interms of electrical capacity as wellas provide on-board fuel tanks forextended operation,” says SamButtiglieri, Cummins Power Rentmanager in NSW.

Two Cummins Power Rent generator sets areproviding emergency standby power to Sydney’s$680 million Cross City Tunnel during itsconstruction.

The tunnel, which will open in 2005 as a vital linkin Sydney’s orbital motorway network, will removemore than 90,000 vehicles a day from CBD streets.

The project involves the construction of twintunnels, each 2.1 km long, with around 680,000

tonnes of rock and earth needing to be excavated.

It is one of the most technically challenging road tunnel projects everundertaken in Australia.

The Cummins gensets are paralleled to provide a total of 1.7 MW of power.They are housed in 30 ft ISO containers with on-board 3,000-litre fuel tanks.

8 9

Tony Bardenhagen, 71, has been in the logging game inTasmania for more than 50 years. “I’ve been driving logtrucks for 53 years,” he states with a definite tone of pride.

Today, the Bardenhagen business, which has always beenbased at Lilydale in Tasmania’s north east, is intoharvesting, trucking, processing and sawmilling, and tradesas A&S Bardenhagen Pty Ltd.

The company, which runs a fleet of 10 log trucks, harvestsaround 95,000 tonnes of wood a year and produces30,000 tonnes of processed chips.

Tony, whose distaste for office work still sees him drivinga log truck daily, has son Leigh and daughter Marieinvolved in the company.“I started off driving a 26 hptruck and now I’m in a 580 hp truck,” he exclaims.

Tony’s father, Harvey Vernon Bardenhagen, started thebusiness although Tony’s not exactly sure when thathappened.“I was born in 1933 and he had some trucksthen,” says Tony.

“Before I saw daylight, my father had lost his leg in aloading accident. He had a wooden leg but that didn’tstop him from carting saw logs. He ended his workingdays operating school buses and a service station.

“I started working for my father in 1951 driving a truck.That was a KS7 International which had a 30 hp petrolmotor and a gas producer from new.”

Tony remembers his father operating five or six truckswith charcoal-burning gas producers during the war.Thecharcoal would be loaded into a hopper behind the caband the gas that was produced, essentially carbon

The changeout of the first CumminsQSK60 engine in the Hunter Valleycoalfields has gone ahead smoothly, withminimal disruption to the Bengallaopen-cut mine.

Four 2,700 hp QSK60 engines went intoservice in Euclid R280 haul trucks at theBengalla mine in 2000 with a fifth added tothe fleet in December 2002.

Hitachi’s hydraulic excavators claim honours

monoxide, would operate thepetrol engine.“I think they werea bit low on power,” Tony recallswith a laugh.

The logging industry obviouslyruns in the Bardenhagen blood.Tony’s older brother Frankoperated three sawmills as wellas a fleet of bulldozers andInternational trucks at one time.

The Bardenhagen truck fleettoday is dominated by Cummins-powered Internationals, rangingfrom two imported 9900 Eagleswith Signature 580 power to a1976 model ACCO 3070A with aCummins 903.

Amazingly,Tony drove this 3070Afor 20 years until early this yearwhen he finally decided his

troublesome back needed some relief and he slipped intoa new Iveco PowerStar with a Signature 580.

“I’m often asked why I bother to keep driving and I say, ‘Ijust like it’.At times I’ve thought about giving it upbecause of my bad back, but now that I’m in thePowerStar I’m enjoying it even more,” he says.

Tony admits with a tinge of regret that the ACCO 3070isn’t working much these days. “I’ve got a lot of goodmemories of this truck,” he says sincerely.“The 903 was areally good engine. It was a bit smoky in town but it wasalright out in the country.”

Cummins and International have long been theunchallenged champions of the Bardenhagen operation.

The return of the International truck brand to Australiain the form of the 9200 and 9900 conventionals from theUS (now being built in Australia) has eased the pain Tonyfelt when the Iveco name took precedence.

“Over the years we’d have had 60 International trucks,”says Tony, who last year received a surprise 70th birthdaypresent in the form of a restored KS5 International fromthe 1940s.

“Our first Cummins engine was a V504 and wetransplanted that into an International Loadstar in theearly 60s,” Tony points out.

The Cummins line-up today includes the 350 hp 903, a444, a couple of N14 Celects rated at 525 hp, and fiveSignatures - one rated at 520 hp, the others at 580 hp.

“The Signatures are running beautifully,” says Tony,satisfied.“Their engine brake is magic in our kind of workand they do the tough stuff so easy.”

Explaining the reasons for the uncompromising loyalty tothe Cummins and International brands,Tony says it’s allabout the performance of the products as well asrepaying loyalty with loyalty.

“In Cummins’ case, the commitment of Rob Criggie(Cummins’ manager in Tasmania) and his people can’t befaulted,” he says firmly.“Their after sales support isexcellent.”

Tony Bardenhagen with daughter Marie.

Tony Bardenhagen with the KS5International he received as a surprisepresent on his 70th birthday last year.

One of the two Signature-powered IvecoPowerStars in the Bardenhagen fleet.

International 9900 Eagles with Cummins Signature580 power are impressing in the Bardenhagenoperation.

Early this year the first units logged 20,000hours in service.

A brand new QSK60 from CumminsNewcastle’s mining enginesupport bank started theoverhaul ball rolling in May withits installation in the oldestEuclid R280. The old enginewas sent to the CumminsNewcastle overhaul facility tobegin the rebuild process inpreparation for its fitment inthe second Euclid.

The rebuild process hasinvolved complete enginedisassembly, replacement ofmore than 260 different partsline items, and full dyno testingon completion of the overhaulusing Cummins Newcastle’s3,500 hp Taylor dyno.

Diesel technicians from Cummins’Muswellbrook facility in the Hunter Valleyworked closely with Bengalla’s own crewsof technicians in the removal of the first oldQSK60 and installation of the new engine.

The original plan was for the QSK60engines to be rebuilt at 18,000 hours, but

subsequent experience in the fieldindicated that life-to-overhaul could beextended beyond 20,000 hours.A mid-lifeinspection of key components at 9,000hours also showed the engine internals tobe in excellent condition.

Since Bengalla’s QSK60s werecommissioned in 2000, more than 50 ofthe 45-litre and 60-litre QSK Cumminsengines have gone to work poweringhydraulic excavators, loaders and haultrucks in open cut coal mining in theHunter Valley.

Bengalla maintenance personnel reportthat Cummins’ service support - responsetime, in particular - has improved over thelast 12 to 18 months since theestablishment of the ‘satellite’ Cumminsbranch at Muswellbrook in the heart of theHunter Valley.

The branch is a two-shift operation(7 am to 11 pm) with 16 technicians and15 service vehicles.Afterhours/weekendparts and service are catered for through abreakdown support system.

Any downtime at Bengalla has high impactbecause of the mine’s relatively small fleetof trucks.

“We don’t have redundant equipment here

Cummins ‘satellite’ branch at Muswellbrook in the heart of the HunterValley mining region has 15 service vehicles dedicated to fast response.

so we need to get any problems fixed asquickly as possible,” Bengalla’s maintenanceco-ordinator points out.

“We’re a 10-truck operation and if wehave two trucks down that’s 20 per cent ofthe fleet which has a big impact on ourability to hit material movement targets. Sowe need to be assured of parts availabilityand back-up service.”

The Bengalla mine itself has changed theway it carries out maintenance, withmaintenance planning and scheduling nowin the hands of Bengalla personnel.

“We have a team here that has a lot ofurgency about making things happen,” hesays.“We’re focusing on costs, on smarterways of doing things.”

The Bengalla mine opened in 1998 andcurrently produces more than six milliontonnes of domestic and export steamingcoal a year. Rio Tinto Coal Australiamanages the mine for the mine’s four jointventure partners - Coal and AlliedIndustries,Wesfarmers Ltd,Taipower andMitsui Coal.

The mine is recognised as anindustry leader in environmentalnoise management whilemaintaining its focus as a miningoperation.The strictenvironmental conditions aredue to the mine’s closeness tothe township of Muswellbrook.

Watching Bengalla’s Cummins-powered Euclids at work clearlydemonstrates the strictenvironmental standards in placeat the mine with engineencapsulation resulting inextremely quiet trucks.

Hauling payloads in excess of250 tonnes - fully loaded weightof the Euclids is around 450tonnes - the big 60-litre V16sare still working in the comfort

zone with engine load factors of around 31%.

One of the five QSK60-powered EuclidR280 haul trucks in operation at theBengalla mine.The first engines wereoverhauled after 22,000 hours’ service.

New QSK60 from Cummins Newcastle’s miningengine support bank is readied for installation inEuclid R280.

Hitachi’s ‘Excellence in Excavators’ has been recognised by Cumminsin Australia.

At a special presentation in Brisbane, Hitachi representatives Tony Tito,Phil Twining and Peter Woodley received a special award fromCummins’ general manager of worldwide mining business Ed Claypool,and managing director of Cummins South Pacific Gino Butera.

Hitachi has claimed market leadership in Australia with hydraulicexcavators powered by Cummins’ 45-litre,V12 Quantum engine,the QSK45.

In fact, Hitachi was world No.1 in the hydraulic excavator marketin 2003 for machines rated 160 tons and above, with 32% share.

In the same market segment, Cummins was overwhelminglydominant with 71% share, having supplied engines to Hitachi,Komatsu, Liebherr, and Terex/O&K.

60-litre Cummins engines rejuvenate Euclids after 20,000-hour overhauls

Cummins managing director Gino Butera (left)making the special presentation to Hitachirepresentatives (from left) Phil Twining, PeterWoodley and Tony Tito.

Hitachi excavator with Cummins QSK45power at work in the Hunter Valley.

Cummins Power Rent on standbyat under-Sydney tunnel

There’s no chip on Tony’s shoulder

10 11

New Quantum engines are also being releasedby Cummins MerCruiser Diesel forcommercial applications in the South Pacific inthe second half of 2004.

“This is the biggest ever year for Cummins interms of new product introductions for thecommercial marine market,” says Tony Lee,manager of Cummins South Pacific’scommercial marine business.

“We are introducing three new Quantumengines that focus on improved performanceand fuel efficiency and significantly reducedemissions and noise.

New Quantumengines forworkboatapplications

“We are also releasing new ratings that will broadenthe application of established Quantum engine, theQSM11.”

The new QSB5.9 and QSC8.3 are fully electronic,low-emission derivatives of the well proven CumminsB and C series engines, while the QSL9 is an entirelynew addition to Cummins’ commercial marine line-up.

The 5.9-litre QSB will become available late in 2004with commercial ratings of 230 hp at 2600 rpm (heavy-duty), 305 hp at 2600 rpm (medium continuous) and355 hp at 2800 rpm (intermittent), while the 8.3-litreQSC will be offered with a 490 hp (intermittent) rating.

The 9.0-litre QSL will be offered with commercialratings of 405 hp at 2100 hp (medium continuous),330 hp at 1800 rpm (heavy-duty), and 285 hp at 1800rpm (continuous).

Like the QSB and QSC, the QSL incorporates a newhigh-pressure common rail fuel system that significantlyimproves fuel economy, virtually eliminates smoke andodour, and reduces idle noise by more than 80%.

Long engine life was a major objective duringdevelopment of the QSL.This is evident from the use ofan articulated gallery cooled steel piston, a larger sumpoil pan, lower rpm levels than the current C-seriesproduct to reduce wear on power cylinder components,and a more efficient aftercooler which reduces intakemanifold temperatures for longer piston life.

New ratings for two other Cummins Quantumengines - the well established QSM11 and the biggestever marine engine released by Cummins Marine, the60-litre QSK60 - will also become available in thesecond half of 2004.

The 10.8-litre QSM11 has forged a reputation forbest-in-class efficiency since its release in 1999. Thenew commercial ratings for the in-line six, which hasbeen available at 455 and 588 hp, will be 295 hp at1800 rpm (continuous), 355 hp at 1800 rpm(continuous), and 405 hp at 2100 rpm (heavy-duty).

The QSK60, a 60-litre V16, is Cummins’ most powerfulever marine engine. Introduced in 2002 with a powerrange of 2000 to 2,300 hp, the QSK60 will becomeavailable with a new medium continuous rating of2,500 hp at 1900 rpm.

The QSK60 has an established track record indemanding mining, excavator and electrical powerapplications in which there are thousands of units inservice, and it fills an important node in thecommercial marine industry. It provides operators witha new choice not only for high-speed applications, butalso as a cost effective alternative to medium speed.

The engine’s full-authority electronics ensure optimisedfuelling for reduced fuel consumption and emissions.

A number of options are offered to help loweroperating and maintenance costs.

The Cummins-designed Eliminator filter removes alldisposable lube oil filters while a 378-litre oil panextends the time between oil changes beyond thetypical 250 hours.Also available is the Centinel OilManagement System, an oil burnsystem that, inconjunction with theEliminator, eliminatesthe need for oilchanges and costlydisposal.

Cummins MerCruiser Diesel (CMD) isreleasing two new Quantum engines for theSouth Pacific recreational market in thesecond half of 2004.

The new QSB5.9 and QSC8.3 are fullyelectronic, low-emission derivatives of thewell proven Cummins B and C seriesengines.

They join another Quantum engine, theQSM11, which has established an excellentreputation for smoke-free, high-outputoperation (535 to 660 hp) since its releasein 1998.

“The new Quantum engines focus onimproved performance and fuel efficiency,and significantly reduced emissions andnoise,” says Paul Jackson, general manager ofCummins MerCruiser Diesel South Pacific.

“They combine advanced technology withproven base engine platforms and marinespecific components such as the aftercooler,heat exchanger, fuel cooler and transmissioncooler.

“CMD has total confidence in the reliabilityand durability of the new Quantum enginesas is reflected in the improved base enginewarranty of 1000 hours/two years, up from600 hours/two years.”

The QSB and QSCincorporate a new highpressure common rail fuelsystem that improves fueleconomy and power-to-weight ratio, virtuallyeliminates smoke and odour,and significantly reduces idlenoise.

In fact, idle noise from the QSB is reducedby as much as 80% thanks to the new fuelsystem and modifications to the cylinderblock.

Both the QSB and QSC feature new 24-valve cylinder heads and perfectly matchedturbochargers for improved power densityand acceleration.

The new engines also incorporate a numberof structural upgrades to improve on thereliability and durability of their mechanically-injected B and C series counterparts.

The 5.9-litre QSB will be available with atop-power rating of 380 hp at 3000 rpm,and will also be offered with outputs of330 and 355 hp at 2800 rpm.

The 380 hp rating clearly illustrates theimprovements in fuel economy andperformance. Compared with the popularmechanical B370 engine, the QSB delivers5% better cruise fuel economy (59litres/hour) and 6% better cruise power.Peak torque is nearly 20% higher whileoccurring 200 rpm lower than the B370.

The durability of the QSB5.9 platform isunderpinned by the fact the engine wasoriginally designed for higher cylinderpressures, as required in other applications.

ENGINE RATED POWERMODEL HP @ RPM

QSB 5.9-330 330 @ 2800

QSB 5.9-355 355 @ 2800

QSB 5.9-380 380 @ 3000

QSC 8.3-490 490 @ 2600

QSC 8.3-540 540 @ 2600

The new QSB380delivers 5% better

cruise fueleconomy, 6% better

cruise power andnearly 20% higher

peak torque than thepopular mechanical

B370 Cummins engine.

The 8.3-litre QSC will punch out a peak of540 hp at 2600 rpm.This 540 hprating translates to a 15%increase in rated power and a17% increase in cruise powerover the existing Cummins480C-E.

The QSC will also be offeredwith a 490 hp rating.

Increased life to overhaul was amajor objective duringdevelopment of the QSC.This isevident from the use of gallery cooledalloy pistons, a high temperature cylinderhead, high temperature intake and exhaustvalves and valve seats, a fuel-cooled enginecontrol module (ECM), a water in fuel sensorthat ties directly into the engine protectionsystem, and a more efficient aftercooler thatreduces intake manifold temperatures andincreases power cylinder life.

Both new Quantum engines will use theSmartCraft multiplexing and communicationssystem. SmartCraft takes inputs from theengine and other boat systems to provideinstant diagnostics and operations data at thehelm.The information can be viewed viadigital display or a full set of analog gaugesthat are digitally driven.

Cummins MerCruiser Diesel (CMD), a 50/50joint venture between Cummins and MercuryMarine, offers a broad range of diesel marinepropulsion systems from 120 to 660 hp. In theSouth Pacific, CMD distributes its 1.7, 2.8 and4.2-litre engines, sterndrives and jet drivesthrough Mercury, and its larger diesel inboardengines (4B, 6B, QSB, 6C, QSC, QSL, QSM11and N14) through Cummins.

Cummins MerCruiser Diesel unveils new electronic Quantum engines

Quicker, quieter,cleaner... Quantum!

QSB will be offeredin the new Riviera 33

The QSC rated at 540 hpdelivers a 15% increase in

rated power and a 17%increase in cruise

power over theexisting Cummins480C-E.

The QSL9 is anentirely newaddition to Cummins’commercial marine line-up.

As a successfulcommercialfisherman inTasmania for 20years, Phillip Wrighthas thrived on theraw appeal of thesea and all itschallenges.

His latest vessel -the fourth he has owned - is the 23.9-metreEubalaena which is designed primarily forcray but also abalone fishing.

Working out of Hobart, Eubalaena is thefirst Cummins-powered vessel Phillip hasoperated.

It is superbly builtand equipped,boasting everytechnical - andpractical - advantagerequired for fishingthe red crustaceanand abalone.

Phillip chose the full Cummins package ofmain engine and gensets, Cummins havingbeen highly recommended by otherfishermen.

“What we knewabout Cummins wasby word of mouth.Importantly, no onewe talked to had anycomplaints aboutservice support fromCummins.That wasgood enough forme,” says Phillip.

For propulsion, Eubalaena has the industrybenchmark for durability, the Cummins K19churning out 600 hp at 1800 rpm, while twoCummins gensets - 55 and100 kVa units - provideboth prime and back-uppower generation.

The main engine andgensets are keel-cooled,and the big 18.9-litrestraight six Cummins is

New Tassie cray boatsets special buildstandard

put to work via a Twin Disc gearboxspinning a Mikado four-blade propeller.Cruise speed is 11 knots at 1500 rpm.

A bulbous bow adds to speed and stabilitywhile a bow thruster provides improvedmanoeuvrability.

The build quality and fitout of Eubalaena areexceptional.Ten years ago, a work boat wasa work boat, but today many pleasure boatscan’t match the level of finish andappointments on the latest commercialfishing vessels.

“We wanted no long term maintenanceissues with this boat so every bit of gear wehave is good gear,” Phillip explains.

Stuart Wooley, who fishes with Phillip andexpertly managed construction ofEubalaena, points to the generous use ofstainless steel as part of the strategy tokeep maintenance costs to a minimum.

“There are more dollars in stainless steelon this boat than in steel,” he comments.

Stainless steel items include the bollards,capping rails, sponsons, pot hauler, and wearplate on the side of the boat where the craypots are pulled up andon board.

Construction ofEubalaena was carriedout by contractcraftsmen, with Phillipand Stuart ensuringthey had the bestpeople on the job.“Wewanted total controlover everything,” saysPhillip, adding that thevessel is a JohnAnderton design.

“We had a good lookat a number of vessels

to see what we liked and didn’tlike,” he adds.“We also had ourown specific ideas, so we wereable to come up with a verypractical design.

Eubalaena features generous deck spaceand carrying ability. Fifty cray pots arecarried and when the vessel is used as amothership for abalone fishing, there’sroom for three 17 ft dinghies on thedeck as well as one aft.

A fully marinised Fassi crane is used forlifting the dinghies on and off as well asunloading from the two 15,000-litrecirculating tanks.

The vessel sleeps 14 all up, with eightberths at the front for an abalonefishing crew.

Phillip Wright and Stuart Wooley arejustifiably proud of the finished product,certainly one of the finest commercialfishing vessels going around.

On board Eubalaena nearing theend of construction are CumminsTasmania manager Rob Criggie(right) with owner Phillip Wright(centre) and Stuart Wooley whomanaged construction of the boat.

10 11

New Quantum engines are also being releasedby Cummins MerCruiser Diesel forcommercial applications in the South Pacific inthe second half of 2004.

“This is the biggest ever year for Cummins interms of new product introductions for thecommercial marine market,” says Tony Lee,manager of Cummins South Pacific’scommercial marine business.

“We are introducing three new Quantumengines that focus on improved performanceand fuel efficiency and significantly reducedemissions and noise.

New Quantumengines forworkboatapplications

“We are also releasing new ratings that will broadenthe application of established Quantum engine, theQSM11.”

The new QSB5.9 and QSC8.3 are fully electronic,low-emission derivatives of the well proven CumminsB and C series engines, while the QSL9 is an entirelynew addition to Cummins’ commercial marine line-up.

The 5.9-litre QSB will become available late in 2004with commercial ratings of 230 hp at 2600 rpm (heavy-duty), 305 hp at 2600 rpm (medium continuous) and355 hp at 2800 rpm (intermittent), while the 8.3-litreQSC will be offered with a 490 hp (intermittent) rating.

The 9.0-litre QSL will be offered with commercialratings of 405 hp at 2100 hp (medium continuous),330 hp at 1800 rpm (heavy-duty), and 285 hp at 1800rpm (continuous).

Like the QSB and QSC, the QSL incorporates a newhigh-pressure common rail fuel system that significantlyimproves fuel economy, virtually eliminates smoke andodour, and reduces idle noise by more than 80%.

Long engine life was a major objective duringdevelopment of the QSL.This is evident from the use ofan articulated gallery cooled steel piston, a larger sumpoil pan, lower rpm levels than the current C-seriesproduct to reduce wear on power cylinder components,and a more efficient aftercooler which reduces intakemanifold temperatures for longer piston life.

New ratings for two other Cummins Quantumengines - the well established QSM11 and the biggestever marine engine released by Cummins Marine, the60-litre QSK60 - will also become available in thesecond half of 2004.

The 10.8-litre QSM11 has forged a reputation forbest-in-class efficiency since its release in 1999. Thenew commercial ratings for the in-line six, which hasbeen available at 455 and 588 hp, will be 295 hp at1800 rpm (continuous), 355 hp at 1800 rpm(continuous), and 405 hp at 2100 rpm (heavy-duty).

The QSK60, a 60-litre V16, is Cummins’ most powerfulever marine engine. Introduced in 2002 with a powerrange of 2000 to 2,300 hp, the QSK60 will becomeavailable with a new medium continuous rating of2,500 hp at 1900 rpm.

The QSK60 has an established track record indemanding mining, excavator and electrical powerapplications in which there are thousands of units inservice, and it fills an important node in thecommercial marine industry. It provides operators witha new choice not only for high-speed applications, butalso as a cost effective alternative to medium speed.

The engine’s full-authority electronics ensure optimisedfuelling for reduced fuel consumption and emissions.

A number of options are offered to help loweroperating and maintenance costs.

The Cummins-designed Eliminator filter removes alldisposable lube oil filters while a 378-litre oil panextends the time between oil changes beyond thetypical 250 hours.Also available is the Centinel OilManagement System, an oil burnsystem that, inconjunction with theEliminator, eliminatesthe need for oilchanges and costlydisposal.

Cummins MerCruiser Diesel (CMD) isreleasing two new Quantum engines for theSouth Pacific recreational market in thesecond half of 2004.

The new QSB5.9 and QSC8.3 are fullyelectronic, low-emission derivatives of thewell proven Cummins B and C seriesengines.

They join another Quantum engine, theQSM11, which has established an excellentreputation for smoke-free, high-outputoperation (535 to 660 hp) since its releasein 1998.

“The new Quantum engines focus onimproved performance and fuel efficiency,and significantly reduced emissions andnoise,” says Paul Jackson, general manager ofCummins MerCruiser Diesel South Pacific.

“They combine advanced technology withproven base engine platforms and marinespecific components such as the aftercooler,heat exchanger, fuel cooler and transmissioncooler.

“CMD has total confidence in the reliabilityand durability of the new Quantum enginesas is reflected in the improved base enginewarranty of 1000 hours/two years, up from600 hours/two years.”

The QSB and QSCincorporate a new highpressure common rail fuelsystem that improves fueleconomy and power-to-weight ratio, virtuallyeliminates smoke and odour,and significantly reduces idlenoise.

In fact, idle noise from the QSB is reducedby as much as 80% thanks to the new fuelsystem and modifications to the cylinderblock.

Both the QSB and QSC feature new 24-valve cylinder heads and perfectly matchedturbochargers for improved power densityand acceleration.

The new engines also incorporate a numberof structural upgrades to improve on thereliability and durability of their mechanically-injected B and C series counterparts.

The 5.9-litre QSB will be available with atop-power rating of 380 hp at 3000 rpm,and will also be offered with outputs of330 and 355 hp at 2800 rpm.

The 380 hp rating clearly illustrates theimprovements in fuel economy andperformance. Compared with the popularmechanical B370 engine, the QSB delivers5% better cruise fuel economy (59litres/hour) and 6% better cruise power.Peak torque is nearly 20% higher whileoccurring 200 rpm lower than the B370.

The durability of the QSB5.9 platform isunderpinned by the fact the engine wasoriginally designed for higher cylinderpressures, as required in other applications.

ENGINE RATED POWERMODEL HP @ RPM

QSB 5.9-330 330 @ 2800

QSB 5.9-355 355 @ 2800

QSB 5.9-380 380 @ 3000

QSC 8.3-490 490 @ 2600

QSC 8.3-540 540 @ 2600

The new QSB380delivers 5% better

cruise fueleconomy, 6% better

cruise power andnearly 20% higher

peak torque than thepopular mechanical

B370 Cummins engine.

The 8.3-litre QSC will punch out a peak of540 hp at 2600 rpm.This 540 hprating translates to a 15%increase in rated power and a17% increase in cruise powerover the existing Cummins480C-E.

The QSC will also be offeredwith a 490 hp rating.

Increased life to overhaul was amajor objective duringdevelopment of the QSC.This isevident from the use of gallery cooledalloy pistons, a high temperature cylinderhead, high temperature intake and exhaustvalves and valve seats, a fuel-cooled enginecontrol module (ECM), a water in fuel sensorthat ties directly into the engine protectionsystem, and a more efficient aftercooler thatreduces intake manifold temperatures andincreases power cylinder life.

Both new Quantum engines will use theSmartCraft multiplexing and communicationssystem. SmartCraft takes inputs from theengine and other boat systems to provideinstant diagnostics and operations data at thehelm.The information can be viewed viadigital display or a full set of analog gaugesthat are digitally driven.

Cummins MerCruiser Diesel (CMD), a 50/50joint venture between Cummins and MercuryMarine, offers a broad range of diesel marinepropulsion systems from 120 to 660 hp. In theSouth Pacific, CMD distributes its 1.7, 2.8 and4.2-litre engines, sterndrives and jet drivesthrough Mercury, and its larger diesel inboardengines (4B, 6B, QSB, 6C, QSC, QSL, QSM11and N14) through Cummins.

Cummins MerCruiser Diesel unveils new electronic Quantum engines

Quicker, quieter,cleaner... Quantum!

QSB will be offeredin the new Riviera 33

The QSC rated at 540 hpdelivers a 15% increase in

rated power and a 17%increase in cruise

power over theexisting Cummins480C-E.

The QSL9 is anentirely newaddition to Cummins’commercial marine line-up.

As a successfulcommercialfisherman inTasmania for 20years, Phillip Wrighthas thrived on theraw appeal of thesea and all itschallenges.

His latest vessel -the fourth he has owned - is the 23.9-metreEubalaena which is designed primarily forcray but also abalone fishing.

Working out of Hobart, Eubalaena is thefirst Cummins-powered vessel Phillip hasoperated.

It is superbly builtand equipped,boasting everytechnical - andpractical - advantagerequired for fishingthe red crustaceanand abalone.

Phillip chose the full Cummins package ofmain engine and gensets, Cummins havingbeen highly recommended by otherfishermen.

“What we knewabout Cummins wasby word of mouth.Importantly, no onewe talked to had anycomplaints aboutservice support fromCummins.That wasgood enough forme,” says Phillip.

For propulsion, Eubalaena has the industrybenchmark for durability, the Cummins K19churning out 600 hp at 1800 rpm, while twoCummins gensets - 55 and100 kVa units - provideboth prime and back-uppower generation.

The main engine andgensets are keel-cooled,and the big 18.9-litrestraight six Cummins is

New Tassie cray boatsets special buildstandard

put to work via a Twin Disc gearboxspinning a Mikado four-blade propeller.Cruise speed is 11 knots at 1500 rpm.

A bulbous bow adds to speed and stabilitywhile a bow thruster provides improvedmanoeuvrability.

The build quality and fitout of Eubalaena areexceptional.Ten years ago, a work boat wasa work boat, but today many pleasure boatscan’t match the level of finish andappointments on the latest commercialfishing vessels.

“We wanted no long term maintenanceissues with this boat so every bit of gear wehave is good gear,” Phillip explains.

Stuart Wooley, who fishes with Phillip andexpertly managed construction ofEubalaena, points to the generous use ofstainless steel as part of the strategy tokeep maintenance costs to a minimum.

“There are more dollars in stainless steelon this boat than in steel,” he comments.

Stainless steel items include the bollards,capping rails, sponsons, pot hauler, and wearplate on the side of the boat where the craypots are pulled up andon board.

Construction ofEubalaena was carriedout by contractcraftsmen, with Phillipand Stuart ensuringthey had the bestpeople on the job.“Wewanted total controlover everything,” saysPhillip, adding that thevessel is a JohnAnderton design.

“We had a good lookat a number of vessels

to see what we liked and didn’tlike,” he adds.“We also had ourown specific ideas, so we wereable to come up with a verypractical design.

Eubalaena features generous deck spaceand carrying ability. Fifty cray pots arecarried and when the vessel is used as amothership for abalone fishing, there’sroom for three 17 ft dinghies on thedeck as well as one aft.

A fully marinised Fassi crane is used forlifting the dinghies on and off as well asunloading from the two 15,000-litrecirculating tanks.

The vessel sleeps 14 all up, with eightberths at the front for an abalonefishing crew.

Phillip Wright and Stuart Wooley arejustifiably proud of the finished product,certainly one of the finest commercialfishing vessels going around.

On board Eubalaena nearing theend of construction are CumminsTasmania manager Rob Criggie(right) with owner Phillip Wright(centre) and Stuart Wooley whomanaged construction of the boat.

In the last issue of Cummins Commentary I explained how we, at Cummins South Pacific,have continued to put in place resources and capabilities to reach our objective of beingthe best customer support provider in all territories and markets in which we operate. Inthis edition I would like to tell you more about Cummins Inc. from a global perspective,and how the company has rebounded from several years of tough global marketconditions, particularly in the North American heavy-duty truck market.

A relentless focus on quality, product performance and productivity improvement acrossthe organisation, coupled with the significant experience we have gained with our newengines, has given the company improved results and a competitive advantage with ourcustomers. Our products continue to perform well in the field, and we are winning muchnew business as a result. Our solid prospects for growth and our improved coststructure have put us in a very good financial position.We now expect total revenues for2004 to be 15% to 20% higher than the US$6.3 billion in 2003 reflecting strongimprovement in demand across our businesses.

In the first quarter of 2004, engine sales volumes in the North American heavy-duty truckmarket improved faster than expected as part of a broad market recovery. Cumminsexpects the market to grow by more than 30% in 2004. Cummins’ market share in theheavy-duty truck segment also increased by several percentage points due to the successof its new engine platforms, which comply with the latest US emissions standards.

In addition, sales of the Cummins diesel engine that powers the heavy-duty Dodge Rampickup truck continued to increase during the first quarter from record 2003 levels.Weare on track to have another outstanding year with Daimler Chrysler. During the firstquarter, we had record shipments of 38,000 engines for the Dodge Ram pickup - an 11%increase over our previous record set in the third quarter of last year.

Industrial market revenue has also improved from 2003 levels led by increased sales forconstruction equipment and strong mining demand fueled by increased prices for copperand gold.

Cummins Power Generation business has overcome traditional seasonal weakness topost profitable first quarterly results as market demand strengthened. Commercial powergeneration markets have experienced solid growth with increased demand in NorthAmerica as well as in several international markets, including China, the Middle East andSouth America. Sales in the consumer markets, primarily related to recreational vehicles,were up strongly from both the previous and prior-year quarters, setting new volumerecords.

In closing, I would like to thank all our loyal customers and delivery partners for thebusiness provided to us across all our local markets.We are continuing to drive change inour products and organisation to better meet your expectations and I look forward toyour ongoing business into the future.

Best regards,Gino Butera

Staff MilestonesJuly to December

Comment by Gino Butera, Managing Director - Cummins South Pacific

2004CumminsCommentaryfocus

Robert Wilson took up the position ofCummins Wetherill Park (Sydney) branchmanager in February. He is also manager ofCummins’ satellite branch operation inWollongong.

Robert has extensive experience in theservice side of the business.

He started his working career as amechanical engineering trainee with BHP andthen became mechanical maintenanceforeman at BHP’s basic oxygen steelmaking(BOS) plant at Port Kembla.

In the late 1970s he moved to Waugh & Josephson, the Caterpillar dealer in NSW, where he was servicemanager at various locations. He became NSW service manager for Komatsu in 1990 and then took on therole of national service administration manager followed by NSW operations manager.

Robert was then appointed global dealer business systems manager for NACCO Materials Handling Group,the Asia Pacific distributor of Hyster and Yale forklifts. Immediately before joining Cummins he wasAustralian operations manager for GE Energy Rentals.

12 13

Warren Potent, a parts interpreter at theCummins Wetherall Park branch in Sydney,is one of the best rifle shots in the world.

He’s going for gold at the Athens Olympicsin August in the 60-shot men’s prone eventwhich is shot over a distance of 50 metres.

This isn’t Warren’s first Olympic Games.He competed at the 2000 SydneyOlympics, finishing 19th in his specialtyevent. He has also competed at oneCommonwealth Games, in Malaysia in1998, winning a bronze medal.

Warren, 42, won a World Championshiptitle in 1986 in East Germany, and aCommonwealth Shooting Federation titlein England in 2001.

He holds a dozen Australian titles in themen’s prone event, as well as severalAustralian records with scores of 599 (outof 600) at 50 metres and 600 (out of 600)at 20 metres.

“I got into shooting 25 years ago through amate at school,” Warren points out. “Iactually had a break from the sport from1990 to 1997 when I took on a VIP CarCare franchise.”

He describes rifle shooting as being “95%mental and 5% physical”, and probably theonly sport in the world in which thecompetitor has to be completely still.

“The bullseye is only 10.4mm in diameter, so it’s asport in which there’s littlemargin for error,” saysWarren.

“Controlling your nervoustension and heart rate isvery important,” he explains.“Tests carried out on me lastyear during competitionshowed that my heart ratedropped to 45 just before Ifired a shot but then jumped to 140 when the nerves kickedin after the shot.

“It sounds strange but the more nervous I get and the morepressure I’m under, the better I perform.”

Warren has won medals in every form of competition he hasshot in except an Olympic Games.Athens could well becomethe pinnacle of his career.

Top marksman on target forAthens Olympics

RobertWilsonheads upCumminsin Sydney

Cummins Tamworth has won the inaugural Kaizen competition heldamong Cummins branches in the South Pacific region.

The Kaizen award takes into account business management bestpractices and aftermarket sales over a 12-month period.

“Winning the award was a great team effort by our parts andservice departments,” says Cummins Tamworth branch managerDavid Paddison.

“The drought has severely affected our business over the lastcouple of years, so we’re very proud that the award is ours.”

The Palmerston North branch in New Zealand’s North Islandfinished second followed by the Queanbeyan branch in the ACT.

Kaizen is Japanese meaning gradual, unending improvement; doinglittle things better; setting - and achieving - even higher standards.

Tamworth branchwins Kaizen title

Cummins’ new branch facility in Mackay, Queensland, is expected tobe operational in August.The location is 46-48 Southgate Drive, Paget.

The original Mackay branch, with a building size of 2,000 m2, wasopened early in 1979 to service Central Queensland and the miningbusiness in the Bowen Basin.The new branch has a building size of

3,950 m2 on 11,000 m2 of land.

New Mackay branch

July

5 years Clayton Cowling (Wetherill Park),Tony Blaubaum (Scoresby).

10 years Paul Mann (Dandenong), Joe Ribera (Laverton), Ray Babis (Laverton),Michael Hickling (Newcastle), Jason Brimble (Newcastle), Jason Genrich(Toowoomba).

15 years Chris Frazer (Tamworth), Matt Kovacevich (Perth).

August

5 years Keith Thompson (Wodonga),Terry Holden (Newcastle), Rodney Dennis(Grafton), Geoff Renouf (Townsville), Linley Sells (Perth).

10 years Tony Perkins (Newcastle), Mark Stafford (Perth).

15 years John Mallin (Wetherill Park).

September

5 years Bernard Fields (Dandenong), Dylan Wells (Mt Gambier),Tony Azzi(Wetherill Park), Stephen Smith (Wetherill Park), Gavin Bondzulic (Brisbane),Pat Weir (Scoresby),Alex Harper (Scoresby).

10 years Julie Vurusic (Laverton), Ian Hinrichsen (Wetherill Park), Rob Nixon(Newcastle), Geoff Flessenkemper (Newcastle).

15 years Ron West (Newcastle), Peter Reeves (Grafton), Gary Fordham (Brisbane),David Skea (Perth), Bronwyn Miller (15 years).

October

5 years David Stinson (Campbellfield), Jesmie Mulla (Cairns).

10 years Chris Tattersall (Scoresby).

15 years Bruce Burgman (Newcastle).

20 years Andrew Tallentyre (Scoresby), John Pallozzi (Scoresby).

November

5 years Bert Van Derwesten (Mackay), Paul Duce (Brisbane), Leigh Russell (Brisbane),Peter Caine (Brisbane), Michelle Bourke (Townsville), Michael Morley(Darwin), Graham Gill (Scoresby).

10 years Roger Lowe (Newcastle), Sean Blinman (Tamworth),Tracey Balanzategui(Cairns).

15 years Lyndon Wilkinson (Newcastle).

25 years Ken Burrows (Scoresby).

December

5 years Clinton Foote (Wetherill Park), Col Baker (Brisbane).

10 years Ian Secker (Newcastle), John Brant (Cairns),William Parker (Perth),Helen Mollison (Scoresby).

15 years Rod Leadbeater (Campbellfield), Stephen Bonney (Wetherill Park).

20 years Brian Smith (Adelaide), Paul Corbett (Newcastle), Raymond York (Perth).

Cummins Emerald fourth-year apprenticeTim Miles made it into the WorldskillsAustralia national final in Brisbane in May.He performed creditably in finishingninth in a competition that included avariety of tasks such as troubleshootingan electronic engine, partial rebuild of anengine, troubleshooting and repair of abraking system, troubleshooting hydraulics, and partial repair of a transmission.

Emerald apprentice in nationalskills final

In the last issue of Cummins Commentary I explained how we, at Cummins South Pacific,have continued to put in place resources and capabilities to reach our objective of beingthe best customer support provider in all territories and markets in which we operate. Inthis edition I would like to tell you more about Cummins Inc. from a global perspective,and how the company has rebounded from several years of tough global marketconditions, particularly in the North American heavy-duty truck market.

A relentless focus on quality, product performance and productivity improvement acrossthe organisation, coupled with the significant experience we have gained with our newengines, has given the company improved results and a competitive advantage with ourcustomers. Our products continue to perform well in the field, and we are winning muchnew business as a result. Our solid prospects for growth and our improved coststructure have put us in a very good financial position.We now expect total revenues for2004 to be 15% to 20% higher than the US$6.3 billion in 2003 reflecting strongimprovement in demand across our businesses.

In the first quarter of 2004, engine sales volumes in the North American heavy-duty truckmarket improved faster than expected as part of a broad market recovery. Cumminsexpects the market to grow by more than 30% in 2004. Cummins’ market share in theheavy-duty truck segment also increased by several percentage points due to the successof its new engine platforms, which comply with the latest US emissions standards.

In addition, sales of the Cummins diesel engine that powers the heavy-duty Dodge Rampickup truck continued to increase during the first quarter from record 2003 levels.Weare on track to have another outstanding year with Daimler Chrysler. During the firstquarter, we had record shipments of 38,000 engines for the Dodge Ram pickup - an 11%increase over our previous record set in the third quarter of last year.

Industrial market revenue has also improved from 2003 levels led by increased sales forconstruction equipment and strong mining demand fueled by increased prices for copperand gold.

Cummins Power Generation business has overcome traditional seasonal weakness topost profitable first quarterly results as market demand strengthened. Commercial powergeneration markets have experienced solid growth with increased demand in NorthAmerica as well as in several international markets, including China, the Middle East andSouth America. Sales in the consumer markets, primarily related to recreational vehicles,were up strongly from both the previous and prior-year quarters, setting new volumerecords.

In closing, I would like to thank all our loyal customers and delivery partners for thebusiness provided to us across all our local markets.We are continuing to drive change inour products and organisation to better meet your expectations and I look forward toyour ongoing business into the future.

Best regards,Gino Butera

Staff MilestonesJuly to December

Comment by Gino Butera, Managing Director - Cummins South Pacific

2004CumminsCommentaryfocus

Robert Wilson took up the position ofCummins Wetherill Park (Sydney) branchmanager in February. He is also manager ofCummins’ satellite branch operation inWollongong.

Robert has extensive experience in theservice side of the business.

He started his working career as amechanical engineering trainee with BHP andthen became mechanical maintenanceforeman at BHP’s basic oxygen steelmaking(BOS) plant at Port Kembla.

In the late 1970s he moved to Waugh & Josephson, the Caterpillar dealer in NSW, where he was servicemanager at various locations. He became NSW service manager for Komatsu in 1990 and then took on therole of national service administration manager followed by NSW operations manager.

Robert was then appointed global dealer business systems manager for NACCO Materials Handling Group,the Asia Pacific distributor of Hyster and Yale forklifts. Immediately before joining Cummins he wasAustralian operations manager for GE Energy Rentals.

12 13

Warren Potent, a parts interpreter at theCummins Wetherall Park branch in Sydney,is one of the best rifle shots in the world.

He’s going for gold at the Athens Olympicsin August in the 60-shot men’s prone eventwhich is shot over a distance of 50 metres.

This isn’t Warren’s first Olympic Games.He competed at the 2000 SydneyOlympics, finishing 19th in his specialtyevent. He has also competed at oneCommonwealth Games, in Malaysia in1998, winning a bronze medal.

Warren, 42, won a World Championshiptitle in 1986 in East Germany, and aCommonwealth Shooting Federation titlein England in 2001.

He holds a dozen Australian titles in themen’s prone event, as well as severalAustralian records with scores of 599 (outof 600) at 50 metres and 600 (out of 600)at 20 metres.

“I got into shooting 25 years ago through amate at school,” Warren points out. “Iactually had a break from the sport from1990 to 1997 when I took on a VIP CarCare franchise.”

He describes rifle shooting as being “95%mental and 5% physical”, and probably theonly sport in the world in which thecompetitor has to be completely still.

“The bullseye is only 10.4mm in diameter, so it’s asport in which there’s littlemargin for error,” saysWarren.

“Controlling your nervoustension and heart rate isvery important,” he explains.“Tests carried out on me lastyear during competitionshowed that my heart ratedropped to 45 just before Ifired a shot but then jumped to 140 when the nerves kickedin after the shot.

“It sounds strange but the more nervous I get and the morepressure I’m under, the better I perform.”

Warren has won medals in every form of competition he hasshot in except an Olympic Games.Athens could well becomethe pinnacle of his career.

Top marksman on target forAthens Olympics

RobertWilsonheads upCumminsin Sydney

Cummins Tamworth has won the inaugural Kaizen competition heldamong Cummins branches in the South Pacific region.

The Kaizen award takes into account business management bestpractices and aftermarket sales over a 12-month period.

“Winning the award was a great team effort by our parts andservice departments,” says Cummins Tamworth branch managerDavid Paddison.

“The drought has severely affected our business over the lastcouple of years, so we’re very proud that the award is ours.”

The Palmerston North branch in New Zealand’s North Islandfinished second followed by the Queanbeyan branch in the ACT.

Kaizen is Japanese meaning gradual, unending improvement; doinglittle things better; setting - and achieving - even higher standards.

Tamworth branchwins Kaizen title

Cummins’ new branch facility in Mackay, Queensland, is expected tobe operational in August.The location is 46-48 Southgate Drive, Paget.

The original Mackay branch, with a building size of 2,000 m2, wasopened early in 1979 to service Central Queensland and the miningbusiness in the Bowen Basin.The new branch has a building size of

3,950 m2 on 11,000 m2 of land.

New Mackay branch

July

5 years Clayton Cowling (Wetherill Park),Tony Blaubaum (Scoresby).

10 years Paul Mann (Dandenong), Joe Ribera (Laverton), Ray Babis (Laverton),Michael Hickling (Newcastle), Jason Brimble (Newcastle), Jason Genrich(Toowoomba).

15 years Chris Frazer (Tamworth), Matt Kovacevich (Perth).

August

5 years Keith Thompson (Wodonga),Terry Holden (Newcastle), Rodney Dennis(Grafton), Geoff Renouf (Townsville), Linley Sells (Perth).

10 years Tony Perkins (Newcastle), Mark Stafford (Perth).

15 years John Mallin (Wetherill Park).

September

5 years Bernard Fields (Dandenong), Dylan Wells (Mt Gambier),Tony Azzi(Wetherill Park), Stephen Smith (Wetherill Park), Gavin Bondzulic (Brisbane),Pat Weir (Scoresby),Alex Harper (Scoresby).

10 years Julie Vurusic (Laverton), Ian Hinrichsen (Wetherill Park), Rob Nixon(Newcastle), Geoff Flessenkemper (Newcastle).

15 years Ron West (Newcastle), Peter Reeves (Grafton), Gary Fordham (Brisbane),David Skea (Perth), Bronwyn Miller (15 years).

October

5 years David Stinson (Campbellfield), Jesmie Mulla (Cairns).

10 years Chris Tattersall (Scoresby).

15 years Bruce Burgman (Newcastle).

20 years Andrew Tallentyre (Scoresby), John Pallozzi (Scoresby).

November

5 years Bert Van Derwesten (Mackay), Paul Duce (Brisbane), Leigh Russell (Brisbane),Peter Caine (Brisbane), Michelle Bourke (Townsville), Michael Morley(Darwin), Graham Gill (Scoresby).

10 years Roger Lowe (Newcastle), Sean Blinman (Tamworth),Tracey Balanzategui(Cairns).

15 years Lyndon Wilkinson (Newcastle).

25 years Ken Burrows (Scoresby).

December

5 years Clinton Foote (Wetherill Park), Col Baker (Brisbane).

10 years Ian Secker (Newcastle), John Brant (Cairns),William Parker (Perth),Helen Mollison (Scoresby).

15 years Rod Leadbeater (Campbellfield), Stephen Bonney (Wetherill Park).

20 years Brian Smith (Adelaide), Paul Corbett (Newcastle), Raymond York (Perth).

Cummins Emerald fourth-year apprenticeTim Miles made it into the WorldskillsAustralia national final in Brisbane in May.He performed creditably in finishingninth in a competition that included avariety of tasks such as troubleshootingan electronic engine, partial rebuild of anengine, troubleshooting and repair of abraking system, troubleshooting hydraulics, and partial repair of a transmission.

Emerald apprentice in nationalskills final

gas engine gensets are involvedin coal seam methane projectsin Queensland.

Cummins Brisbane’s DarekZimnoch is driving the business,as the demand for prime powergensets capable of running onCSM increases.

Seven 55 kWe capacity gasengine gensets are being used atwell heads in the Surat Basin topump water from the coal seamcleats to release the methane gas.

Two GTA14 gas engine gensets,each with a 200 kWe outputcapacity, are powering a gascompression station atKincora, south of Roma,while a GTA38 with a 479kWe capacity is at Durhampowering a plant that treatswater pumped from the coalseam cleats.

Another GTA14 gas genset isat Moranbah to providepower to a booster andmonitoring station that ispart of the pipeline projectthat will see CSM delivered

to Townsville.This genset is installed in acustom-built stainless steel canopy madeby Synchrotech.

“We have developed a thoroughunderstanding of this marketand are now able to deliverpackages ready for easyintegration at specific sites,”says Darek Zimnoch.

All of the Cummins GTArange generators are builtand tested locally to ensurethey meet specific customer requirements.

“We fit all of these gensets with an externalreserve oil system, by-pass oil filtration, andheavy-duty air cleaners for extended serviceintervals,” Darek explains.

“This customised approach and flexibilityhighlights Cummins’position as a leadingedge supplier to the gasmarket.”

wells.The first gas from Moranbah isscheduled to be delivered to Townsville inearly 2005.

Supply of the four Cummins gas enginegensets to Ergon Energy is the secondmajor order for the 1.5 MW units in lessthan 12 months.Another five units are alsoset to play a key role in the BassGas Projectin Victoria, powering the processing plant atLang Lang.

The 1.5 MW gensets feature enormousCummins lean-burn QSV81 engines that are81-litre, 16-cylinder, spark-ignited units withturbocharging and intercooling. Full-authorityelectronic controls are an integral part ofthe four-stroke engine to ensure the lean-burn combustion is maintained withincritical boundaries.

The lean-burn technology, which uses a leanmix of air and fuel, results in high fuelefficiency and very low emissions.

A number of other Cummins spark-ignited

Cummins gas enginegenerator sets are tappinginto coal seam methane(CSM) projects in Queenslandin increasing numbers.

CSM is a methane gas storedwithin coal seams. It’s similar tonatural gas and can be utilisedin all natural gas appliancesand commercial applications.

Queensland has extensiveCSM resources, andconsequently there has beenrapid growth in the numberof CSM projects in the statein recent years.

Most of the activity is in theBowen and Surat Basins withtheir extensive coal deposits,although all coal-bearingbasins are being investigated.

CSM is extracted from thecoal seams via wells; theseams are usually 200 to 1000metres below the surface andare filled with water.Thepressure of the water keepsthe gas absorbed as a thin filmon the surface of the coal.

Water is pumped from the natural fractures(cleats) in the coal seams to release thepressure and thus the gas.

Four massive Cummins gas enginegenerator sets will soon be running on coalseam methane at Moranbah in the BowenBasin, providing power for the MoranbahGas Project’s gas extraction and processingoperation.

The 1.5 MW gensets are at the heart ofErgon Energy’s new $6 million powerstation that will provide 6MW when itbecomes operational later this year.

Cummins’ customer for this project isIndustrial and Marine Electrics Pty Ltd(IME) of Cairns. IME is supplying thepower station as a turnkey facility toErgon Energy.

The Moranbah Gas Project is a jointventure between natural gas companyCH4 and BHP Billiton.The bulk of thecoal seam gas produced by the projectwill be piped directly to Townsvillethrough a new 391 km pipeline, theinitial major customer being theTownsville Power Station.

The project initially involves a field of29 wells that will be expanded to 42

14 15

Darek Zimnoch...“We fitall of our gensets with anexternal reserve oilsystem, by-pass oilfiltration, and heavy-dutyair cleaners for extendedservice intervals.”

Cummins GTA14 gas genset, installed in acustom-built stainless steel canopy made bySynchrotech, will be used at Moranbah toprovide power to a booster and monitoringstation.

Cummins’ massive 1.5 MW gas engine generator set, four of which will soonbe running on coal seam methane at Moranbah in the Bowen Basin inQueensland, providing power for the Moranbah Gas Project’s gas extractionand processing operation.

Townsville

Mackay

Moranbah

Rockhampton

Gladstone

Bundaberg

Maryborough

BRISBANE

Coal seam gas fuels Cummins gensets in big Qld projects

He points out that all Cummins gensetsgoing into CSM projects are derated forcontinuous power application to ensurereliability and durability in the harsh andremote conditions.

Coal seam methane projects are now bigbusiness in Queensland.

Gordon Ngan, Cummins branch managerat Emerald in Queensland, has had someinteresting challenges in his career of 31years with the company.

Not all of those challenges have been inAustralia. Gordon had a five-year stint withCummins in China from 1995 to 2000, andthen six months in Russia in 2003.

Gordon was born in Te Awamutu in NewZealand to Chinese parents who hadimmigrated to NZ in 1939.

He confides that the first big challenge in hisworking career was getting into Australia inthe early 1970s when elements of the‘White Australia’ Policy were still in place.

“I was a New Zealander with a NewZealand passport but because I was ofChinese descent I had trouble getting intoAustralia,” he says.

“They finally let me in after I signed anaffidavit stating that I’d only stay for 12months.”

During those 12 months the final vestigesof the White Australia Policy wereremoved by the new Whitlam Governmentand Gordon settled down as a diesel fitterin Brisbane, working for Cummins underthe Blackwood Hodge banner.

In fact, he stayed with Cummins inBrisbane for the next 20 years, working infield service, then as workshop supervisorand field service supervisor.

Gordon took on the job of branchmanager in Emerald in August 2003,moving there from Auckland, New Zealand,where he had been workshop managersince 2000.

His Chinese wife of five years,Tammy, iswith him in Emerald.“Tammy’s not her realname,” says Gordon, matter-of-factly.“Hername is Huang Zichen.”

I query Gordon about his real name, andhe throws his head back with laughter.“Itwas amazing. My parents were Chinese, butthey gave me a Scottish name - GordonStuart.”

Gordon met Tammy when he was workingin China.“Tammy couldn’t speak English soshe moved to New Zealand to study

English about 12 months before I wentback in 2000. She stayed with friends ofmine,” says Gordon.

He confides it has been hard for Tammysettling into a remote town like Emerald,but she’s now doing a university entrancecourse so has her mind focused on study.

Gordon’s first three years in China werespent setting up and managing a new jointventure distributor, Shenzhen ChongfaCummins Engine Co, in Shenzhen, SouthChina.

“We built the business from nothing,” saysGordon with a definite tone of pride.“Westarted with the shell of a building and setup a new workshop, fuel room, partswarehouse and so on.We had four peoplein sales, four in parts, and eight dieselfitters.

“There were 20,000 generator sets in oneof the industrial regions we serviced. Everyfactory needed a genset for reliable powersupply so we had plenty of servicing andrebuild work.”

From Shenzhen Gordon moved toGuangzhou to establish an office anddevelop truck and bus market support inan area that covered all of China south ofShanghai.

Gordon returned to New Zealand in 2000and then moved to Moscow in 2003 forsix months to help establish the newCummins-owned distributor ‘OOOCummins’ which, translated from Russian,means ‘Cummins Ltd’.

“I love the challenge of having to work indifferent environments. It can be veryeducational in terms of diversity - thediverse lifestyles, diverse cultures, diversework environments,” says Gordon.

Our man in China, in Russia, in Emerald...

The ‘Cummins Cruisers’ raised around$10,000 in a recent charity bike ridefor the MS Society of Queensland.

With representation from theCummins Brisbane branch, CumminsMerCruiser Diesel, and Cumminssubsidiary Swagman, the Cruiserscompleted the 57 km course inaround three hours.

The sponsorship money goes towardsfinding a cure for MS (multiplesclerosis) which is a chronic, oftendisabling disease that randomlyattacks the central nervous system.

Cummins Cruisers raise$10,000 for MS Society

Cummins Townsville figured prominently in the NorthQueensland apprentice and trainee awards for 2003,organised by TAFE Queensland and TORGAS.

Diesel fitter Dean Sticklen beat more than 100candidates for the Most Outstanding 4th Year Apprenticeaward. Dean, who is now working in field service, wasalso runner-up for the Apprentice of the Year award.

The Townsville branch was named Host Employer of theYear, beating around 400 other employers for the title.

Cummins Townsville has been a trainee and apprenticeemployer for the last eight years and has trainednumerous apprentices, most still being with Cummins.

Michael Lean wasone of threefinalists for theMost OutstandingTrainee Award.He works as aparts interpreter.

Cummins Townsvillefigures inapprentice awards

He’s currently focused on improvingCummins Emerald’s service supportcapability in the southern Bowen Basin, animportant mining region where Cumminshas a large population of ‘big banger’engines up to the 60-litre, 2,700 hpQSK60.

At 56, Gordon shows no sign of backingaway from the challenges.“It’s part of mylife,” he says.

Scott Coleman from Kenworth dealer Brown & Hurleywon the individual stroke event at the 2nd CumminsMasters golf tournament at Coolangatta on the Gold

Coast in May.

The tournament raised nearly $11,000 for the Variety Club, an organisation that supportsunderprivileged children.

Off the stick, Coleman shot a one over par 37 for the nine-hole individual event.

The winning team in the ambrose competition over 18 holes was Col Porter (Porters Transport),Trevor Young (Young & Land), John Monteith (Mark IV) and Ian Jensen (Valvoline).

Sponsors of the Cummins Masters, held at theCoolangatta & Tweed Heads Golf Club, were Fleetguard,Jasol,Valvoline, Dayco, Pirtek, StandOut Marketing, Riviera,and Oilcheck.

Cummins Masters raises$11,000Scott Coleman (centre), winner of theindividual stoke event, with Wayne Burr(left) and Shane Murphy from Cummins.

Cummins director of engine business ShaneMurphy (left) with the winning ambrose team(from left):Trevor Young, Ian Jensen, Col Porterand John Monteith.

Cummins Townsville service manager RonBainbridge(left) with Dean Sticklen and branchmanager Neville Brown.

Gordon and wife Tammy

gas engine gensets are involvedin coal seam methane projectsin Queensland.

Cummins Brisbane’s DarekZimnoch is driving the business,as the demand for prime powergensets capable of running onCSM increases.

Seven 55 kWe capacity gasengine gensets are being used atwell heads in the Surat Basin topump water from the coal seamcleats to release the methane gas.

Two GTA14 gas engine gensets,each with a 200 kWe outputcapacity, are powering a gascompression station atKincora, south of Roma,while a GTA38 with a 479kWe capacity is at Durhampowering a plant that treatswater pumped from the coalseam cleats.

Another GTA14 gas genset isat Moranbah to providepower to a booster andmonitoring station that ispart of the pipeline projectthat will see CSM delivered

to Townsville.This genset is installed in acustom-built stainless steel canopy madeby Synchrotech.

“We have developed a thoroughunderstanding of this marketand are now able to deliverpackages ready for easyintegration at specific sites,”says Darek Zimnoch.

All of the Cummins GTArange generators are builtand tested locally to ensurethey meet specific customer requirements.

“We fit all of these gensets with an externalreserve oil system, by-pass oil filtration, andheavy-duty air cleaners for extended serviceintervals,” Darek explains.

“This customised approach and flexibilityhighlights Cummins’position as a leadingedge supplier to the gasmarket.”

wells.The first gas from Moranbah isscheduled to be delivered to Townsville inearly 2005.

Supply of the four Cummins gas enginegensets to Ergon Energy is the secondmajor order for the 1.5 MW units in lessthan 12 months.Another five units are alsoset to play a key role in the BassGas Projectin Victoria, powering the processing plant atLang Lang.

The 1.5 MW gensets feature enormousCummins lean-burn QSV81 engines that are81-litre, 16-cylinder, spark-ignited units withturbocharging and intercooling. Full-authorityelectronic controls are an integral part ofthe four-stroke engine to ensure the lean-burn combustion is maintained withincritical boundaries.

The lean-burn technology, which uses a leanmix of air and fuel, results in high fuelefficiency and very low emissions.

A number of other Cummins spark-ignited

Cummins gas enginegenerator sets are tappinginto coal seam methane(CSM) projects in Queenslandin increasing numbers.

CSM is a methane gas storedwithin coal seams. It’s similar tonatural gas and can be utilisedin all natural gas appliancesand commercial applications.

Queensland has extensiveCSM resources, andconsequently there has beenrapid growth in the numberof CSM projects in the statein recent years.

Most of the activity is in theBowen and Surat Basins withtheir extensive coal deposits,although all coal-bearingbasins are being investigated.

CSM is extracted from thecoal seams via wells; theseams are usually 200 to 1000metres below the surface andare filled with water.Thepressure of the water keepsthe gas absorbed as a thin filmon the surface of the coal.

Water is pumped from the natural fractures(cleats) in the coal seams to release thepressure and thus the gas.

Four massive Cummins gas enginegenerator sets will soon be running on coalseam methane at Moranbah in the BowenBasin, providing power for the MoranbahGas Project’s gas extraction and processingoperation.

The 1.5 MW gensets are at the heart ofErgon Energy’s new $6 million powerstation that will provide 6MW when itbecomes operational later this year.

Cummins’ customer for this project isIndustrial and Marine Electrics Pty Ltd(IME) of Cairns. IME is supplying thepower station as a turnkey facility toErgon Energy.

The Moranbah Gas Project is a jointventure between natural gas companyCH4 and BHP Billiton.The bulk of thecoal seam gas produced by the projectwill be piped directly to Townsvillethrough a new 391 km pipeline, theinitial major customer being theTownsville Power Station.

The project initially involves a field of29 wells that will be expanded to 42

14 15

Darek Zimnoch...“We fitall of our gensets with anexternal reserve oilsystem, by-pass oilfiltration, and heavy-dutyair cleaners for extendedservice intervals.”

Cummins GTA14 gas genset, installed in acustom-built stainless steel canopy made bySynchrotech, will be used at Moranbah toprovide power to a booster and monitoringstation.

Cummins’ massive 1.5 MW gas engine generator set, four of which will soonbe running on coal seam methane at Moranbah in the Bowen Basin inQueensland, providing power for the Moranbah Gas Project’s gas extractionand processing operation.

Townsville

Mackay

Moranbah

Rockhampton

Gladstone

Bundaberg

Maryborough

BRISBANE

Coal seam gas fuels Cummins gensets in big Qld projects

He points out that all Cummins gensetsgoing into CSM projects are derated forcontinuous power application to ensurereliability and durability in the harsh andremote conditions.

Coal seam methane projects are now bigbusiness in Queensland.

Gordon Ngan, Cummins branch managerat Emerald in Queensland, has had someinteresting challenges in his career of 31years with the company.

Not all of those challenges have been inAustralia. Gordon had a five-year stint withCummins in China from 1995 to 2000, andthen six months in Russia in 2003.

Gordon was born in Te Awamutu in NewZealand to Chinese parents who hadimmigrated to NZ in 1939.

He confides that the first big challenge in hisworking career was getting into Australia inthe early 1970s when elements of the‘White Australia’ Policy were still in place.

“I was a New Zealander with a NewZealand passport but because I was ofChinese descent I had trouble getting intoAustralia,” he says.

“They finally let me in after I signed anaffidavit stating that I’d only stay for 12months.”

During those 12 months the final vestigesof the White Australia Policy wereremoved by the new Whitlam Governmentand Gordon settled down as a diesel fitterin Brisbane, working for Cummins underthe Blackwood Hodge banner.

In fact, he stayed with Cummins inBrisbane for the next 20 years, working infield service, then as workshop supervisorand field service supervisor.

Gordon took on the job of branchmanager in Emerald in August 2003,moving there from Auckland, New Zealand,where he had been workshop managersince 2000.

His Chinese wife of five years,Tammy, iswith him in Emerald.“Tammy’s not her realname,” says Gordon, matter-of-factly.“Hername is Huang Zichen.”

I query Gordon about his real name, andhe throws his head back with laughter.“Itwas amazing. My parents were Chinese, butthey gave me a Scottish name - GordonStuart.”

Gordon met Tammy when he was workingin China.“Tammy couldn’t speak English soshe moved to New Zealand to study

English about 12 months before I wentback in 2000. She stayed with friends ofmine,” says Gordon.

He confides it has been hard for Tammysettling into a remote town like Emerald,but she’s now doing a university entrancecourse so has her mind focused on study.

Gordon’s first three years in China werespent setting up and managing a new jointventure distributor, Shenzhen ChongfaCummins Engine Co, in Shenzhen, SouthChina.

“We built the business from nothing,” saysGordon with a definite tone of pride.“Westarted with the shell of a building and setup a new workshop, fuel room, partswarehouse and so on.We had four peoplein sales, four in parts, and eight dieselfitters.

“There were 20,000 generator sets in oneof the industrial regions we serviced. Everyfactory needed a genset for reliable powersupply so we had plenty of servicing andrebuild work.”

From Shenzhen Gordon moved toGuangzhou to establish an office anddevelop truck and bus market support inan area that covered all of China south ofShanghai.

Gordon returned to New Zealand in 2000and then moved to Moscow in 2003 forsix months to help establish the newCummins-owned distributor ‘OOOCummins’ which, translated from Russian,means ‘Cummins Ltd’.

“I love the challenge of having to work indifferent environments. It can be veryeducational in terms of diversity - thediverse lifestyles, diverse cultures, diversework environments,” says Gordon.

Our man in China, in Russia, in Emerald...

The ‘Cummins Cruisers’ raised around$10,000 in a recent charity bike ridefor the MS Society of Queensland.

With representation from theCummins Brisbane branch, CumminsMerCruiser Diesel, and Cumminssubsidiary Swagman, the Cruiserscompleted the 57 km course inaround three hours.

The sponsorship money goes towardsfinding a cure for MS (multiplesclerosis) which is a chronic, oftendisabling disease that randomlyattacks the central nervous system.

Cummins Cruisers raise$10,000 for MS Society

Cummins Townsville figured prominently in the NorthQueensland apprentice and trainee awards for 2003,organised by TAFE Queensland and TORGAS.

Diesel fitter Dean Sticklen beat more than 100candidates for the Most Outstanding 4th Year Apprenticeaward. Dean, who is now working in field service, wasalso runner-up for the Apprentice of the Year award.

The Townsville branch was named Host Employer of theYear, beating around 400 other employers for the title.

Cummins Townsville has been a trainee and apprenticeemployer for the last eight years and has trainednumerous apprentices, most still being with Cummins.

Michael Lean wasone of threefinalists for theMost OutstandingTrainee Award.He works as aparts interpreter.

Cummins Townsvillefigures inapprentice awards

He’s currently focused on improvingCummins Emerald’s service supportcapability in the southern Bowen Basin, animportant mining region where Cumminshas a large population of ‘big banger’engines up to the 60-litre, 2,700 hpQSK60.

At 56, Gordon shows no sign of backingaway from the challenges.“It’s part of mylife,” he says.

Scott Coleman from Kenworth dealer Brown & Hurleywon the individual stroke event at the 2nd CumminsMasters golf tournament at Coolangatta on the Gold

Coast in May.

The tournament raised nearly $11,000 for the Variety Club, an organisation that supportsunderprivileged children.

Off the stick, Coleman shot a one over par 37 for the nine-hole individual event.

The winning team in the ambrose competition over 18 holes was Col Porter (Porters Transport),Trevor Young (Young & Land), John Monteith (Mark IV) and Ian Jensen (Valvoline).

Sponsors of the Cummins Masters, held at theCoolangatta & Tweed Heads Golf Club, were Fleetguard,Jasol,Valvoline, Dayco, Pirtek, StandOut Marketing, Riviera,and Oilcheck.

Cummins Masters raises$11,000Scott Coleman (centre), winner of theindividual stoke event, with Wayne Burr(left) and Shane Murphy from Cummins.

Cummins director of engine business ShaneMurphy (left) with the winning ambrose team(from left):Trevor Young, Ian Jensen, Col Porterand John Monteith.

Cummins Townsville service manager RonBainbridge(left) with Dean Sticklen and branchmanager Neville Brown.

Gordon and wife Tammy

Signature 620-powered K104 isstirred by an Eaton AutoShift box.

Cummins has won an order for traction engines andgenerator sets for 14 new diesel rail cars for the HunterValley, NSW, network.

The traction engines are QSK19-R units rated at 750 hpwhile the generator sets have a 131 kWe capacity and arepowered by the ISBe engine. Both the traction and gensetengines feature full-authority electronic controls.

The new rail cars will replace 1960s-vintage units whichoriginally had Detroit engines and were then repoweredin 1981 with the 14-litre Cummins NTA855-R.

The new cars will enter service early in 2005 and willoperate as two-car units, each car having a tractionengine and generator set.

They will complement the 10 existing Endeavour unitsthat were commissioned in 1992 with 540 hp CumminsKTA19-R engines and Cummins generator sets rated at118 kWe.

Built by United Goninan at its Broadmeadow facility inNewcastle, the new rail cars are the first designed andbuilt in Newcastle for the Newcastle region.

“This order reinforces Cummins’ positionas the leading engine supplier to the diesel-powered passenger rail market inAustralia,” says Brian Roberts, Cummins’national rail business manager.

The Hunter Valley contract follows recentmajor orders for 76 traction engines and

generators sets for Victoria’s high-speed VLocity trains,and 18 engines for new rail cars for the Perth toKalgoorlie Prospector service.

The VLocity trains have QSK19 engines rated at 750 hpand 80 kW gensets, while the Prospector trains arepowered by 525 hp N14-ER engines.

16 17

Five Cummins gas engine generator sets, the first of theirkind in Australia and each capable of providing 1.4 MW ofpower, will be commissioned during July at the BassGasproject in Victoria.

The gas gensets and a smaller diesel set will power theBassGas on-shore processing facility at Lang Lang, twohours south-east of Melbourne.

The gas processing plant will start operating later thisyear. It is being built by Clough Engineering as part of anOrigin Energy joint venture, and will process gas from theYolla field, 140 km offshore in Bass Strait.

When fully operational, this gas field will supply 10% ofMelbourne’s natural gas needs.

Cummins commissions gas engine gensets for BassGas project

The first Cummins genset of its type inAustralia is playing a key role in thedrainage of methane gas from GlenniesCreek Colliery, a longwall mine in theHunter Valley, NSW.

The genset itself runs on methane whilepowering the extractor fan that helps drainthe gas from the mine via a large diamaterborehole.The gas is drained at up to 1100litres a second.

Coalbed methane is acarbon-based gas thatoccurs naturally incoal seams.As coal ismined, the methane isreleased from the gas-bearing strata in whichit is trapped.

Drained methane powers Cumminsgenset at NSW longwall mine

Like a great many family transporttraditions, Howard Haulage has forged itsreputation as a successful company fromrather humble beginnings.

Les Howard started the company in 1961with a Bedford hauling fertiliser. Now in hisearly 70s, Les still enjoys involvement inthe business, although the reins today arevery much in the hands of son Adrian.

The Howards hail from Willow Tree on theNew England Highway, 300 km north-westof Sydney, and their smartly presented fleetcomprises 45 prime movers and 60trailers.

Cummins has a strong presence in thefleet - a presence that is beingunderpinned by the latest generation ISXand Signature engines. In the ISX line-upare three 500s with the upper-level 1850 lb ft torque rating, while a Signature620 stirred by an Eaton AutoShift is themaster of time and distance in B-doublework.

Where grain haulage was the majorworkload of the Howard fleet only acouple of years ago - the company was thebiggest bulk carrier in northern NSW -today it’s a very different story because ofthe drought.

“We had 38 grain trucks but now we’redown to 12,” Adrian Howard points out.“We had 100 loads (of grain) goingthrough Willow Tree to Newcastle andSydney a week, but during the droughtwe’ve been down to one load a week.

The total project value is $400 million, including theoff-shore facilities, pipeline and on-shore plant.

Cummins South Pacific’s Energy Solutions Businesssupplied the generators, control systems and other plant,including the giant acoustic canopies.The radiators weresupplied by CBM Technologies, a Cummins subsidiary.

The power station will operate in island mode only,powering the site equipment.Thegas-powered sets are provided forthe continuous load, which isexpected to be around 5.5 MW.

A Cummins QST30-powereddiesel generator with a 640 kWcapacity is also being provided for‘black start’ purposes.

The 1.4 MW gas gensets featureenormous Cummins lean-burnQSV81 engines that are 81-litre,16-cylinder, spark-ignited unitswith turbocharging andintercooling.

Full-authority electronic controlsare an integral part of the four-stroke engine to ensure the lean-burn combustion is maintained

within critical boundaries.

The lean-burn technology, which uses a lean mix of airand fuel, results in high fuel efficiency and very lowemissions.

While this product is well established in Cummins’overseas markets, the BassGas project is the firstapplication in the South Pacific for QSV81-powered sets.

“This project highlights Cummins’ capabilities in turnkeyplant supply,” says Tony Blaubaum, general manager ofCummins’ Energy Solutions Business & Rental.

“Our ability to provide proven gas engine generators aswell as sophisticated ancillary equipment such as acousticcanopies and fire and gas suppression systems, is a greatexample of how we can package our product and delivera complete power solution to the customer.”

Commissioningengineers fromCummins PowerGeneration in Kent,UK, will be workingwith Cummins stafffrom Scoresby andDandenong inMelbourne tocommission the powerstation. Key staff at eachlocation have completedUK training courses, andoperator training is alsobeing offered to thecustomer.

Cummins Power Rent is providing 690V transformers,cable and load banks for the power stationcommissioning phase, and also to provide loads whileother sections of the plant are being commissioned.

“This complex job illustrates Cummins’ ability to deliverthe whole rental package to support major projectactivities from early site works through to hand-over,”says Bill Black, Cummins Power Rent business manager.

When longwall mining was introduced atGlennies Creek in 2002, mine managementrealised the potential for an increased flowof methane.

Longwall mining is the most productiveway of removing coal from an undergroundoperation, but the mining-induced fracturesbehind the longwall face can releasegreater quantites of methane gas.

This proved the case atGlennies Creek where,prior to the longwallmining system being

introduced, the gas was managed throughthe mine’s standard ventilation systemwithout methane drainage.

Glennies Creek Colliery is owned by UScoal trader AMCI and produces highquality coking coal which is sold primarilyto steel makers in the Asia Pacific region.

Run-of-mine production is 2.7 milliontonnes a year, and the plan is to lift this to4.0 million tonnes a year.

The methane drainage plant at GlenniesCreek is designed around the Cumminsgas engine genset which powers theextractor fan as well as the electronicsthat control the plant.

The 50 kW prime power gensetruns through a VVVF drive toprovide variable fan speed.Thespeed of the extractor fan is set bythe mine depending on the volumeand concentration of gas that needsto be expelled.The status of theplant itself is relayed to the mineoffice via radio link and optic fibre.

If mine gas pressure and concentration areinsufficient, the genset’s V10 engine can bestarted on bottled propane gas.The enginecan then be switched manually to mine gasonce it is at the right pressure/concentration.

Cummins Newcastle is providing technicaland service support to Glennies CreekColliery.

Methane drainageplant at GlenniesCreek is designedaround the Cumminsgas engine gensetwhich powers theextractor fan as wellas the electronics thatcontrol the plant.

Introduction of a longwall mining systemat Glennies Creek required the use of themethane drainiage plant.

Prime power Cummins genset rated at 50 kWruns through a VVVF drive to provide variablefan speed.

“We still have the storageinfrastructure in place atWillow Tree to get backinto grain haulage big time,but the drought made us dothe hard yards in setting upthe business moreefficiently.“

Diversification has beenessential for HowardHaulage at various timesover the years to withstandthe seasonal swings ofMother Nature. Early on,

the company became involved in coalhaulage at Gunnedah, about 100 kmnorth-west of Willow Tree, and today stillhas trucks in this operation.

Howard Haulage also has 15 trucksdedicated to Combined DistributionManagement (CDM Logistics) whichcomprises a group of regional carriershandling Big W transportation from itsdistribution centre in Warwick,Queensland.

Two Generation II ISX500 engines, bothwith the 1850 lb ft torque rating, aremaking a strong impression in the CDMoperation running on Australia’s toughestintercapital route - the New EnglandHighway - between Sydney and Brisbane.

“They haven’t missed a beat and they’regiving us the performance to get our triptimes down to manage driver fatigue,” saysAdrian Howard.

He points out that the two ISXs, poweringKenworth T404S models, are averaging 2.1km/litre on single trailer work on the NewEngland Highway, compared with 1.9km/litre for a couple of 430 hp Cat C12sdoing the same work.The best fueleconomy of 2.3 km/litre is provided byCummins ISM425 engines.

“The ISMs are giving the best fuel economybut they’re up to an hour slower than theISXs between Sydney and Brisbane whichis a disadvantage in terms of us being ableto manage driver fatigue,” Adrian points out.

Michael Morgan, who drives one of theISX-powered Kenworths, confirms thegrunt of the dual overhead cam 15-litreengine.“It’s going real good. It’s a big stepup in performance from the ISM, and theISM does a good job,” he says.

A third ISX Cummins is also on CDMwork, and it powers a stylish ‘oldie’ in theHoward fleet, a 1987 model W900Kenworth.The ISX, rated at 450 hp, wasrecently slotted between the rails of theW900 on removal of an old mechanical14-litre Cummins, and it is torque limitedto 1450 lb ft - a reduction from thestandard 1650 lb ft - to preserve theRockwell SP40 rears.

Adrian Howard obviously has a strongattachment to older generation KWs forhe has three other W900s in the fleet,working in coal haulage at Gunnedah.

While the Generation II ISX and Signatureengines are meeting expectations in theHoward fleet,Adrian is quick to point outthat an equally important factor inequipment selection is back-up andsupport, and that David Paddison and histeam at Cummins Tamworth set a highstandard in this respect.

Adrian Howard...“The ISXs haven’t missed a beatand they’re giving us the performance to get ourtrip times down to manage driver fatigue.”

An oldie but a goodie - a 1987W900 Kenworth (right) with a2003 T404. Both have CumminsISX power, the W900 havingrecently been repowered.

Another rail win for Cummins

Howard Haulage ups the performancefor fatigue management

Cummins Power Generationcommissioning engineer MikeSimpson (right) with CumminsEnergy Solution Business installationsupervisor Dave Sheldon.

Signature 620-powered K104 isstirred by an Eaton AutoShift box.

Cummins has won an order for traction engines andgenerator sets for 14 new diesel rail cars for the HunterValley, NSW, network.

The traction engines are QSK19-R units rated at 750 hpwhile the generator sets have a 131 kWe capacity and arepowered by the ISBe engine. Both the traction and gensetengines feature full-authority electronic controls.

The new rail cars will replace 1960s-vintage units whichoriginally had Detroit engines and were then repoweredin 1981 with the 14-litre Cummins NTA855-R.

The new cars will enter service early in 2005 and willoperate as two-car units, each car having a tractionengine and generator set.

They will complement the 10 existing Endeavour unitsthat were commissioned in 1992 with 540 hp CumminsKTA19-R engines and Cummins generator sets rated at118 kWe.

Built by United Goninan at its Broadmeadow facility inNewcastle, the new rail cars are the first designed andbuilt in Newcastle for the Newcastle region.

“This order reinforces Cummins’ positionas the leading engine supplier to the diesel-powered passenger rail market inAustralia,” says Brian Roberts, Cummins’national rail business manager.

The Hunter Valley contract follows recentmajor orders for 76 traction engines and

generators sets for Victoria’s high-speed VLocity trains,and 18 engines for new rail cars for the Perth toKalgoorlie Prospector service.

The VLocity trains have QSK19 engines rated at 750 hpand 80 kW gensets, while the Prospector trains arepowered by 525 hp N14-ER engines.

16 17

Five Cummins gas engine generator sets, the first of theirkind in Australia and each capable of providing 1.4 MW ofpower, will be commissioned during July at the BassGasproject in Victoria.

The gas gensets and a smaller diesel set will power theBassGas on-shore processing facility at Lang Lang, twohours south-east of Melbourne.

The gas processing plant will start operating later thisyear. It is being built by Clough Engineering as part of anOrigin Energy joint venture, and will process gas from theYolla field, 140 km offshore in Bass Strait.

When fully operational, this gas field will supply 10% ofMelbourne’s natural gas needs.

Cummins commissions gas engine gensets for BassGas project

The first Cummins genset of its type inAustralia is playing a key role in thedrainage of methane gas from GlenniesCreek Colliery, a longwall mine in theHunter Valley, NSW.

The genset itself runs on methane whilepowering the extractor fan that helps drainthe gas from the mine via a large diamaterborehole.The gas is drained at up to 1100litres a second.

Coalbed methane is acarbon-based gas thatoccurs naturally incoal seams.As coal ismined, the methane isreleased from the gas-bearing strata in whichit is trapped.

Drained methane powers Cumminsgenset at NSW longwall mine

Like a great many family transporttraditions, Howard Haulage has forged itsreputation as a successful company fromrather humble beginnings.

Les Howard started the company in 1961with a Bedford hauling fertiliser. Now in hisearly 70s, Les still enjoys involvement inthe business, although the reins today arevery much in the hands of son Adrian.

The Howards hail from Willow Tree on theNew England Highway, 300 km north-westof Sydney, and their smartly presented fleetcomprises 45 prime movers and 60trailers.

Cummins has a strong presence in thefleet - a presence that is beingunderpinned by the latest generation ISXand Signature engines. In the ISX line-upare three 500s with the upper-level 1850 lb ft torque rating, while a Signature620 stirred by an Eaton AutoShift is themaster of time and distance in B-doublework.

Where grain haulage was the majorworkload of the Howard fleet only acouple of years ago - the company was thebiggest bulk carrier in northern NSW -today it’s a very different story because ofthe drought.

“We had 38 grain trucks but now we’redown to 12,” Adrian Howard points out.“We had 100 loads (of grain) goingthrough Willow Tree to Newcastle andSydney a week, but during the droughtwe’ve been down to one load a week.

The total project value is $400 million, including theoff-shore facilities, pipeline and on-shore plant.

Cummins South Pacific’s Energy Solutions Businesssupplied the generators, control systems and other plant,including the giant acoustic canopies.The radiators weresupplied by CBM Technologies, a Cummins subsidiary.

The power station will operate in island mode only,powering the site equipment.Thegas-powered sets are provided forthe continuous load, which isexpected to be around 5.5 MW.

A Cummins QST30-powereddiesel generator with a 640 kWcapacity is also being provided for‘black start’ purposes.

The 1.4 MW gas gensets featureenormous Cummins lean-burnQSV81 engines that are 81-litre,16-cylinder, spark-ignited unitswith turbocharging andintercooling.

Full-authority electronic controlsare an integral part of the four-stroke engine to ensure the lean-burn combustion is maintained

within critical boundaries.

The lean-burn technology, which uses a lean mix of airand fuel, results in high fuel efficiency and very lowemissions.

While this product is well established in Cummins’overseas markets, the BassGas project is the firstapplication in the South Pacific for QSV81-powered sets.

“This project highlights Cummins’ capabilities in turnkeyplant supply,” says Tony Blaubaum, general manager ofCummins’ Energy Solutions Business & Rental.

“Our ability to provide proven gas engine generators aswell as sophisticated ancillary equipment such as acousticcanopies and fire and gas suppression systems, is a greatexample of how we can package our product and delivera complete power solution to the customer.”

Commissioningengineers fromCummins PowerGeneration in Kent,UK, will be workingwith Cummins stafffrom Scoresby andDandenong inMelbourne tocommission the powerstation. Key staff at eachlocation have completedUK training courses, andoperator training is alsobeing offered to thecustomer.

Cummins Power Rent is providing 690V transformers,cable and load banks for the power stationcommissioning phase, and also to provide loads whileother sections of the plant are being commissioned.

“This complex job illustrates Cummins’ ability to deliverthe whole rental package to support major projectactivities from early site works through to hand-over,”says Bill Black, Cummins Power Rent business manager.

When longwall mining was introduced atGlennies Creek in 2002, mine managementrealised the potential for an increased flowof methane.

Longwall mining is the most productiveway of removing coal from an undergroundoperation, but the mining-induced fracturesbehind the longwall face can releasegreater quantites of methane gas.

This proved the case atGlennies Creek where,prior to the longwallmining system being

introduced, the gas was managed throughthe mine’s standard ventilation systemwithout methane drainage.

Glennies Creek Colliery is owned by UScoal trader AMCI and produces highquality coking coal which is sold primarilyto steel makers in the Asia Pacific region.

Run-of-mine production is 2.7 milliontonnes a year, and the plan is to lift this to4.0 million tonnes a year.

The methane drainage plant at GlenniesCreek is designed around the Cumminsgas engine genset which powers theextractor fan as well as the electronicsthat control the plant.

The 50 kW prime power gensetruns through a VVVF drive toprovide variable fan speed.Thespeed of the extractor fan is set bythe mine depending on the volumeand concentration of gas that needsto be expelled.The status of theplant itself is relayed to the mineoffice via radio link and optic fibre.

If mine gas pressure and concentration areinsufficient, the genset’s V10 engine can bestarted on bottled propane gas.The enginecan then be switched manually to mine gasonce it is at the right pressure/concentration.

Cummins Newcastle is providing technicaland service support to Glennies CreekColliery.

Methane drainageplant at GlenniesCreek is designedaround the Cumminsgas engine gensetwhich powers theextractor fan as wellas the electronics thatcontrol the plant.

Introduction of a longwall mining systemat Glennies Creek required the use of themethane drainiage plant.

Prime power Cummins genset rated at 50 kWruns through a VVVF drive to provide variablefan speed.

“We still have the storageinfrastructure in place atWillow Tree to get backinto grain haulage big time,but the drought made us dothe hard yards in setting upthe business moreefficiently.“

Diversification has beenessential for HowardHaulage at various timesover the years to withstandthe seasonal swings ofMother Nature. Early on,

the company became involved in coalhaulage at Gunnedah, about 100 kmnorth-west of Willow Tree, and today stillhas trucks in this operation.

Howard Haulage also has 15 trucksdedicated to Combined DistributionManagement (CDM Logistics) whichcomprises a group of regional carriershandling Big W transportation from itsdistribution centre in Warwick,Queensland.

Two Generation II ISX500 engines, bothwith the 1850 lb ft torque rating, aremaking a strong impression in the CDMoperation running on Australia’s toughestintercapital route - the New EnglandHighway - between Sydney and Brisbane.

“They haven’t missed a beat and they’regiving us the performance to get our triptimes down to manage driver fatigue,” saysAdrian Howard.

He points out that the two ISXs, poweringKenworth T404S models, are averaging 2.1km/litre on single trailer work on the NewEngland Highway, compared with 1.9km/litre for a couple of 430 hp Cat C12sdoing the same work.The best fueleconomy of 2.3 km/litre is provided byCummins ISM425 engines.

“The ISMs are giving the best fuel economybut they’re up to an hour slower than theISXs between Sydney and Brisbane whichis a disadvantage in terms of us being ableto manage driver fatigue,” Adrian points out.

Michael Morgan, who drives one of theISX-powered Kenworths, confirms thegrunt of the dual overhead cam 15-litreengine.“It’s going real good. It’s a big stepup in performance from the ISM, and theISM does a good job,” he says.

A third ISX Cummins is also on CDMwork, and it powers a stylish ‘oldie’ in theHoward fleet, a 1987 model W900Kenworth.The ISX, rated at 450 hp, wasrecently slotted between the rails of theW900 on removal of an old mechanical14-litre Cummins, and it is torque limitedto 1450 lb ft - a reduction from thestandard 1650 lb ft - to preserve theRockwell SP40 rears.

Adrian Howard obviously has a strongattachment to older generation KWs forhe has three other W900s in the fleet,working in coal haulage at Gunnedah.

While the Generation II ISX and Signatureengines are meeting expectations in theHoward fleet,Adrian is quick to point outthat an equally important factor inequipment selection is back-up andsupport, and that David Paddison and histeam at Cummins Tamworth set a highstandard in this respect.

Adrian Howard...“The ISXs haven’t missed a beatand they’re giving us the performance to get ourtrip times down to manage driver fatigue.”

An oldie but a goodie - a 1987W900 Kenworth (right) with a2003 T404. Both have CumminsISX power, the W900 havingrecently been repowered.

Another rail win for Cummins

Howard Haulage ups the performancefor fatigue management

Cummins Power Generationcommissioning engineer MikeSimpson (right) with CumminsEnergy Solution Business installationsupervisor Dave Sheldon.

18 19

Twenty years ago, George Maris was planning hisdefection from Romania, an Eastern Bloc countrythat was under draconian communist rule.

He’d been driving trucks in what was virtually apolice state, but trucking was far from histhoughts as he plotted a new future for hisfamily, away from the chilling environment of thecountry in which he was born in 1962.

George defected to Yugoslavia in 1985 at theage of 23, leaving behind his wife Saveta and twoyoung sons George and Ovidiu.

He officially became a refugee and with the helpof the United Nations was soon able toimmigrate to Australia to start life in the luckycountry. Luckily, his wife and sons were releasedfrom Romania a year later to join him in Sydney.

“When I defected I didn’t think I’d see themagain for a few years,” he says softly, the mentalscars from life in Romania still apparent as hetalks about his previous life.

“Australia is the lucky country, make nomistake,” he says.

George spent his first 10 years in Sydney as afactory worker, but his heart was in trucks and he

bought a small Isuzu that he operated to Kiama on thesouth coast, delivering for Soul Pattinson.

In 1999 he bought a second truck, an old cab-overKenworth, but straight away he traded it and the Isuzuto get into a new K104 Kenworth punched along by aCummins Signature 600.

George defects to the land of the big bangers

George Maris...defected fromRomania and with the helpof the United Nations wasable to immigrate toAustralia to start life in thelucky country.

Like many owner-operators,Dean and Carol Higgins haveknown the best and worst ofroad transport. Hardships andhappiness, struggles andsuccess.

Lying in a hospital bed fiveyears ago after a truckaccident which inflictedinjuries that are still painfultoday, Dean realised just howfragile - and precious - life is.

On that occasion, and others,he and Carol have drawnstrength from the small, tight-

knit community in which they live atKrambach, 40 km south-west of Taree in NSW.

Perseverance and pride havepaid off, and today Dean andCarol Higgins quietly go abouttheir business, positive aboutthe future.

Perseverance, pride pay offfor Dean and CarolPerseverance and

pride have paid offfor Dean Higginswith wife Carol.

Twin 580 hp Cummins QSM11 engines aredelivering “sensational” fuel economy in afast ferry operation for Palm Beach FerryService in NSW.

The QSM11s power ‘Aqua Spirit’, one offour high-speed, low-wash aluminiumcommuter catamarans operated by PeterVerrill’s Palm Beach Ferry Service, a businessbased at Palm Beach, Sydney’s mostnorthern beach.

Verrill’s three other catamarans are alsoCummins-powered.‘Crystal Spirit’ has twinCummins N14-525 engines,‘Silver Spirit’ has

More ‘spirit’ for fast ferry operator

When you’re running a fleetof 60 prime movers and 120trailers, quality ofmaintenance and quickturnaround are essential requirements.

They were certainly foremost in the mindof Mick Carey of Carey Freight Lines (CFL)when planning of the company’s newmaintenance facility in Tamworth, NSW,started early in 2002.

Cummins Tamworth was involved in theearly planning discussions, proposing bulkoil deliveries once a month by a Cummins-dedicated truck. Importantly, this wouldeliminate drum handling, drum storage anddrum disposalissues.

CFL’s growth haddictatedconstruction ofthe new facility tocater for thedemands of a fleet

“I wanted to hit the highway again,” he recalls. “I’d drivenlinehaul trucks in Romania and remembered it as a good life.”

George ran his Kenworth on single trailer work for a yearbefore buying a set of B-double trailers for east coast linehaul.These trailers have the Cummins logo and the words ‘WildSignature 600 Power’ emblazoned along them.

“That Signature has been very good to me,” says George.“It’sconsistently between 1.65 and 1.75 km/litre on full-loadB-double work, and it has been very reliable.”

At 700,000 km, the engine was upgraded with Generation IIcomponents, including the one-piece steel ‘monotherm’ pistons.

Now living in Brisbane, Georgetakes delivery of his secondKenworth, a T904, in Augustand it will be propelled by aGeneration II Signature 620.

“I didn’t know anything aboutthe big bangers here inAustralia, but the Cumminsguys at Wetherill Park (Sydney)helped me in every waypossible.They’re just the best,”says George.

“That’s why I’ve got theCummins words on my trailers.I wanted to do something inappreciation of the help Cummins has given me. Companies likeScotts of Mt Gambier and Hi-Trans have been great as well.

“I must mention my wife, too. She’s right behind me every stepof the way.”

Their T904 Kenworth, with the words‘Signature 620’ scrolled on strategic points ofthe truck and images of V8 SuperCarsdominating the back of the sleeper, istestimony to their commitment, their pride.

Dean, 40, has help with the driving these days.Neck and back pain from the accident limitshis time in the truck to a couple of days a week.

A hobby that occupies some of his spare timeis a wonderful collection of model trucks andV8 SuperCars. He has over 100 trucks and 45cars that make an impressive display at hisKrambach home.

“I’ve always been an enthusiast of the V8s andour daughter (Rebecca, 14) loves them too,”he says.

Dean started in trucking more than 20 years,driving one of his father’s logging trucks. JimHiggins, who passed away recently, was wellknown in the timber industry, having onceowned the sawmill at Burrell Creek, north ofKrambach.

Dean eventually bought one of the loggingtrucks, a 4200 Transtar with an 8V71 Detroit, andset out on interstate work for the first time.

Then he bought an International Atkinson 4870(similar to the T Line) with Big Cam II CumminsNTC400 power.This was followed by a Mack Rmodel, a couple of Ford Louisvilles (one with aCummins PT350) and then an InternationalTranstar with a Cummins N14-525.

Dean bought his T904 Kenworth in 2003, asquare-shouldered truck that is punched alongby a Generation II Signature 620 driving throughan 18-speed box to 4.11:1 rears.

“I deal through Cummins Newcastle and theservice is great.They’re a great bunch of guysthere,” says Dean, whooperates mainly on thePacific Highwaybetween Brisbsane andSydney.

“The performance ofthe Signature isunbelievable,” he says.“It’s two gears betterthan the 525 I had inthe Transtar.”

It’s easy to get the impressionthat Dean and Carol’s truck hasCummins Signature 620 power.

twin N14-480s, and ‘GoldenSpirit’ has twin C430s.

His two latest generationcatamarans are identical25-metre, 200-passenger

aluminium units, built by New WaveCatamarans in Brisbane. One is propelled bythe 580 hp QSM11 engines, the other by the525 hp N14s.

“The fuel economy of the QSM11s issensational,” says Dallas Verrills, dutymanager for Palm Beach Ferry Service.“They are averaging 24.9 litres an hour perengine compared with 30 litres an hour forthe N14s.

“A saving of 10 litres an hour is a big savingwhen calculated over 12 months.”

The 580 hp QSM11s are capable ofpunching along a fully loaded AquaSpirit at 25 knots, while light boattop speed is 28 knots.Typical cruisespeed is in the 18 to 20 knot range,with the engines ticking over at1600 rpm.

While acknowledging the fuel-squeezingability of the QSM11engine, Palm BeachFerry Service owner Peter Verrills is quicknot to dismiss the N14.

“The N14 has proved bullet-proof in thisoperation. Our oldest N14s have each doneover 8000 hours without a problem.We justhaven’t had to work on them,” he pointsout.

Palm Beach Ferry Service moves, on average,650 passengers a day over the full year,although this can rise dramatically dependingon the circumstances.

For example, when raging bush fires closedthe northern road and rail links into Sydneyin December 2002, three of Peter Verills’ferries moved 6,500 passengers in the oneday between Ettalong on the NSW centralcoast and Palm Beach.

Peter Verrills started Palm Beach FerryService in 1976.

He was a “wooden boat fanatic”with a fleet of Gardner-poweredmonohull ferries working out ofPalm Beach.

It wasn’t till September 2000 thatPeter put his first high-speedcommuter ferry into service - the19.5-metre Silver Spirit propelledby twin Cummins N14-480 enginesand capable of 23 knots with 220passengers on board.

The next year, he commissioned hissecond commuter cat, the 19.5-

metre Golden Spirit with twin 300 hpCummins C-series engines (later repoweredwith C430s).

These two catamarans changed the thinkingof Peter Verrills...dramatically.“I was awooden boat fanatic...I never thought I’down catamarans,” he says.

In fact, two years ago, four wooden monhullferries were still part of Palm Beach FerryService. Only one remains now, however,and it chugs around under Gardner powerat 8 knots.

“The need these days is for high-speedcommuter ferries,” says Peter.“People wantto get from point A to B as quickly aspossible.”

Peter Verrills has nothing but praise forCummins’ back-up out of the Wetherill Park,Sydney, branch.“The service blokes fromWetherill Park do a fantastic job,” he says.

Aqua Spirit with 580 hpCummins QSM11s is oneof four high-speed,Cummins-poweredcommuter ferries operatedby Palm Beach FerryService.

Dallas Verrills...“Fueleconomy of the QSM11sis sensational...”

linking Tamworth to Sydney, Brisbane,Melbourne and Adelaide and carting justabout every type of commodity frompoultry feed to bricks, groceries, frozenfood and containers.

The fleet comprises 60 prime movers, 30of which are used for B-doubles haulage,10 rigid trucks and around 120 trailers.

“We’d been doing our maintenance in ashed which had one door and an awning,”recalls Mick Carey.

He smiles at the thoughtof what it used to belike - a stark contrast tothe new maintenancecomplex, undoubtedlyone of the best in thecountry for a privately-owned fleet and astrong demonstration bythe company of itscommitment to top-level

customer service and vehicle operationalstandards.

During planning of the facility, Cumminswas about to start a new service to fleetson the east coast, using a dedicated truckto deliver bulk oils and coolant, so it wasan ideal opportunity for CFL to takeadvantage of the service.

CFL was already using Cummins PremiumBlue and Classic Blue engine oils as well asClassic Blue gear oils which were beingpumped straight out of drums todispensing nozzles.

Cummins Tamworth’s AlexMilne put in place a plan tomanage Carey’s oil supplies,and also arranged the designand installation of associatedequipment such as bulkstorage tanks at the newworkshop.

The bulk storage tanks hold 1800 litres ofPremium Blue and 1400 litres of Classic Blueengine oils, and 500 litres each of 85W140and SAE50 gear oils.

“The bulk oil deliveries are certainly savingus a lot of hassles,” says Mick Carey.“We’renot pumping out of drums, we’re nothandling drums.”

The OH&S and EPA benefits are significantsince there’s no longer a need for drumhandling and disposal.

Carey Freight Lines is a long establishedcompany, having celebrated its 50thanniversary in 1997.The business is ownedby brothers Mick and John whose fatherHarold started the business in 1947 cartingwood and wheat.

Over 100 people are employed by thecompany today. Greg Blanch is operationsmanager while Mick’s son Darren is assistantoperations manager, and John’s son Rickyruns the Brisbane depot.

Carey Freight Lines’ impressivenew maintenance facility inTamworth, NSW, receives bulkoil deliveries monthly from aCummins-dedicated truck.

The Carey facility is one ofthe best in the country for aprivately-owned fleet and astrong demonstration by thecompany of its commitmentto top-level customer serviceand vehicle operationalstandards.

Mick Carey...“The bulk oil deliveries aresaving us a lot of hassles... we’re nolonger pumping out of drums, we’re nothandling drums.”

Cummins delivers the good oilfor slick servicing

George’s K104 Kenworth is to bejoined by a T904 in August.

18 19

Twenty years ago, George Maris was planning hisdefection from Romania, an Eastern Bloc countrythat was under draconian communist rule.

He’d been driving trucks in what was virtually apolice state, but trucking was far from histhoughts as he plotted a new future for hisfamily, away from the chilling environment of thecountry in which he was born in 1962.

George defected to Yugoslavia in 1985 at theage of 23, leaving behind his wife Saveta and twoyoung sons George and Ovidiu.

He officially became a refugee and with the helpof the United Nations was soon able toimmigrate to Australia to start life in the luckycountry. Luckily, his wife and sons were releasedfrom Romania a year later to join him in Sydney.

“When I defected I didn’t think I’d see themagain for a few years,” he says softly, the mentalscars from life in Romania still apparent as hetalks about his previous life.

“Australia is the lucky country, make nomistake,” he says.

George spent his first 10 years in Sydney as afactory worker, but his heart was in trucks and he

bought a small Isuzu that he operated to Kiama on thesouth coast, delivering for Soul Pattinson.

In 1999 he bought a second truck, an old cab-overKenworth, but straight away he traded it and the Isuzuto get into a new K104 Kenworth punched along by aCummins Signature 600.

George defects to the land of the big bangers

George Maris...defected fromRomania and with the helpof the United Nations wasable to immigrate toAustralia to start life in thelucky country.

Like many owner-operators,Dean and Carol Higgins haveknown the best and worst ofroad transport. Hardships andhappiness, struggles andsuccess.

Lying in a hospital bed fiveyears ago after a truckaccident which inflictedinjuries that are still painfultoday, Dean realised just howfragile - and precious - life is.

On that occasion, and others,he and Carol have drawnstrength from the small, tight-

knit community in which they live atKrambach, 40 km south-west of Taree in NSW.

Perseverance and pride havepaid off, and today Dean andCarol Higgins quietly go abouttheir business, positive aboutthe future.

Perseverance, pride pay offfor Dean and CarolPerseverance and

pride have paid offfor Dean Higginswith wife Carol.

Twin 580 hp Cummins QSM11 engines aredelivering “sensational” fuel economy in afast ferry operation for Palm Beach FerryService in NSW.

The QSM11s power ‘Aqua Spirit’, one offour high-speed, low-wash aluminiumcommuter catamarans operated by PeterVerrill’s Palm Beach Ferry Service, a businessbased at Palm Beach, Sydney’s mostnorthern beach.

Verrill’s three other catamarans are alsoCummins-powered.‘Crystal Spirit’ has twinCummins N14-525 engines,‘Silver Spirit’ has

More ‘spirit’ for fast ferry operator

When you’re running a fleetof 60 prime movers and 120trailers, quality ofmaintenance and quickturnaround are essential requirements.

They were certainly foremost in the mindof Mick Carey of Carey Freight Lines (CFL)when planning of the company’s newmaintenance facility in Tamworth, NSW,started early in 2002.

Cummins Tamworth was involved in theearly planning discussions, proposing bulkoil deliveries once a month by a Cummins-dedicated truck. Importantly, this wouldeliminate drum handling, drum storage anddrum disposalissues.

CFL’s growth haddictatedconstruction ofthe new facility tocater for thedemands of a fleet

“I wanted to hit the highway again,” he recalls. “I’d drivenlinehaul trucks in Romania and remembered it as a good life.”

George ran his Kenworth on single trailer work for a yearbefore buying a set of B-double trailers for east coast linehaul.These trailers have the Cummins logo and the words ‘WildSignature 600 Power’ emblazoned along them.

“That Signature has been very good to me,” says George.“It’sconsistently between 1.65 and 1.75 km/litre on full-loadB-double work, and it has been very reliable.”

At 700,000 km, the engine was upgraded with Generation IIcomponents, including the one-piece steel ‘monotherm’ pistons.

Now living in Brisbane, Georgetakes delivery of his secondKenworth, a T904, in Augustand it will be propelled by aGeneration II Signature 620.

“I didn’t know anything aboutthe big bangers here inAustralia, but the Cumminsguys at Wetherill Park (Sydney)helped me in every waypossible.They’re just the best,”says George.

“That’s why I’ve got theCummins words on my trailers.I wanted to do something inappreciation of the help Cummins has given me. Companies likeScotts of Mt Gambier and Hi-Trans have been great as well.

“I must mention my wife, too. She’s right behind me every stepof the way.”

Their T904 Kenworth, with the words‘Signature 620’ scrolled on strategic points ofthe truck and images of V8 SuperCarsdominating the back of the sleeper, istestimony to their commitment, their pride.

Dean, 40, has help with the driving these days.Neck and back pain from the accident limitshis time in the truck to a couple of days a week.

A hobby that occupies some of his spare timeis a wonderful collection of model trucks andV8 SuperCars. He has over 100 trucks and 45cars that make an impressive display at hisKrambach home.

“I’ve always been an enthusiast of the V8s andour daughter (Rebecca, 14) loves them too,”he says.

Dean started in trucking more than 20 years,driving one of his father’s logging trucks. JimHiggins, who passed away recently, was wellknown in the timber industry, having onceowned the sawmill at Burrell Creek, north ofKrambach.

Dean eventually bought one of the loggingtrucks, a 4200 Transtar with an 8V71 Detroit, andset out on interstate work for the first time.

Then he bought an International Atkinson 4870(similar to the T Line) with Big Cam II CumminsNTC400 power.This was followed by a Mack Rmodel, a couple of Ford Louisvilles (one with aCummins PT350) and then an InternationalTranstar with a Cummins N14-525.

Dean bought his T904 Kenworth in 2003, asquare-shouldered truck that is punched alongby a Generation II Signature 620 driving throughan 18-speed box to 4.11:1 rears.

“I deal through Cummins Newcastle and theservice is great.They’re a great bunch of guysthere,” says Dean, whooperates mainly on thePacific Highwaybetween Brisbsane andSydney.

“The performance ofthe Signature isunbelievable,” he says.“It’s two gears betterthan the 525 I had inthe Transtar.”

It’s easy to get the impressionthat Dean and Carol’s truck hasCummins Signature 620 power.

twin N14-480s, and ‘GoldenSpirit’ has twin C430s.

His two latest generationcatamarans are identical25-metre, 200-passenger

aluminium units, built by New WaveCatamarans in Brisbane. One is propelled bythe 580 hp QSM11 engines, the other by the525 hp N14s.

“The fuel economy of the QSM11s issensational,” says Dallas Verrills, dutymanager for Palm Beach Ferry Service.“They are averaging 24.9 litres an hour perengine compared with 30 litres an hour forthe N14s.

“A saving of 10 litres an hour is a big savingwhen calculated over 12 months.”

The 580 hp QSM11s are capable ofpunching along a fully loaded AquaSpirit at 25 knots, while light boattop speed is 28 knots.Typical cruisespeed is in the 18 to 20 knot range,with the engines ticking over at1600 rpm.

While acknowledging the fuel-squeezingability of the QSM11engine, Palm BeachFerry Service owner Peter Verrills is quicknot to dismiss the N14.

“The N14 has proved bullet-proof in thisoperation. Our oldest N14s have each doneover 8000 hours without a problem.We justhaven’t had to work on them,” he pointsout.

Palm Beach Ferry Service moves, on average,650 passengers a day over the full year,although this can rise dramatically dependingon the circumstances.

For example, when raging bush fires closedthe northern road and rail links into Sydneyin December 2002, three of Peter Verills’ferries moved 6,500 passengers in the oneday between Ettalong on the NSW centralcoast and Palm Beach.

Peter Verrills started Palm Beach FerryService in 1976.

He was a “wooden boat fanatic”with a fleet of Gardner-poweredmonohull ferries working out ofPalm Beach.

It wasn’t till September 2000 thatPeter put his first high-speedcommuter ferry into service - the19.5-metre Silver Spirit propelledby twin Cummins N14-480 enginesand capable of 23 knots with 220passengers on board.

The next year, he commissioned hissecond commuter cat, the 19.5-

metre Golden Spirit with twin 300 hpCummins C-series engines (later repoweredwith C430s).

These two catamarans changed the thinkingof Peter Verrills...dramatically.“I was awooden boat fanatic...I never thought I’down catamarans,” he says.

In fact, two years ago, four wooden monhullferries were still part of Palm Beach FerryService. Only one remains now, however,and it chugs around under Gardner powerat 8 knots.

“The need these days is for high-speedcommuter ferries,” says Peter.“People wantto get from point A to B as quickly aspossible.”

Peter Verrills has nothing but praise forCummins’ back-up out of the Wetherill Park,Sydney, branch.“The service blokes fromWetherill Park do a fantastic job,” he says.

Aqua Spirit with 580 hpCummins QSM11s is oneof four high-speed,Cummins-poweredcommuter ferries operatedby Palm Beach FerryService.

Dallas Verrills...“Fueleconomy of the QSM11sis sensational...”

linking Tamworth to Sydney, Brisbane,Melbourne and Adelaide and carting justabout every type of commodity frompoultry feed to bricks, groceries, frozenfood and containers.

The fleet comprises 60 prime movers, 30of which are used for B-doubles haulage,10 rigid trucks and around 120 trailers.

“We’d been doing our maintenance in ashed which had one door and an awning,”recalls Mick Carey.

He smiles at the thoughtof what it used to belike - a stark contrast tothe new maintenancecomplex, undoubtedlyone of the best in thecountry for a privately-owned fleet and astrong demonstration bythe company of itscommitment to top-level

customer service and vehicle operationalstandards.

During planning of the facility, Cumminswas about to start a new service to fleetson the east coast, using a dedicated truckto deliver bulk oils and coolant, so it wasan ideal opportunity for CFL to takeadvantage of the service.

CFL was already using Cummins PremiumBlue and Classic Blue engine oils as well asClassic Blue gear oils which were beingpumped straight out of drums todispensing nozzles.

Cummins Tamworth’s AlexMilne put in place a plan tomanage Carey’s oil supplies,and also arranged the designand installation of associatedequipment such as bulkstorage tanks at the newworkshop.

The bulk storage tanks hold 1800 litres ofPremium Blue and 1400 litres of Classic Blueengine oils, and 500 litres each of 85W140and SAE50 gear oils.

“The bulk oil deliveries are certainly savingus a lot of hassles,” says Mick Carey.“We’renot pumping out of drums, we’re nothandling drums.”

The OH&S and EPA benefits are significantsince there’s no longer a need for drumhandling and disposal.

Carey Freight Lines is a long establishedcompany, having celebrated its 50thanniversary in 1997.The business is ownedby brothers Mick and John whose fatherHarold started the business in 1947 cartingwood and wheat.

Over 100 people are employed by thecompany today. Greg Blanch is operationsmanager while Mick’s son Darren is assistantoperations manager, and John’s son Rickyruns the Brisbane depot.

Carey Freight Lines’ impressivenew maintenance facility inTamworth, NSW, receives bulkoil deliveries monthly from aCummins-dedicated truck.

The Carey facility is one ofthe best in the country for aprivately-owned fleet and astrong demonstration by thecompany of its commitmentto top-level customer serviceand vehicle operationalstandards.

Mick Carey...“The bulk oil deliveries aresaving us a lot of hassles... we’re nolonger pumping out of drums, we’re nothandling drums.”

Cummins delivers the good oilfor slick servicing

George’s K104 Kenworth is to bejoined by a T904 in August.

62,700 hours. Sometimes in summer it has been called on to work at 100%load when ambient temperatures have reached 65

oC.

“The 6CT is a beautiful old engine,” Michael says.“It has yet to be overhauled,although it has had a couple of recon turbochargers, a new water pump andbattery alternator, and the main alternator was rewound at 55,000 hours.”

This genset now acts as a back-up to the two other Cummins units, one a 6BTwhich has done 44,000 hours, the other a 6CT with 26,000 hours of operation.These two are rotated depending on load and weather conditions.

“I fuss over them,” confides Michael.“I’m a firm believer in a strict preventivemaintenance program and staying with the same brand of oil. I don’t blow outthe air filters, I replace them.The radiators arecleaned regularly and the alternators are blown outwith a garden leaf blower.

“Spare parts aren’t expensive, and the back-up andhelp from the Cummins people in Perth andKarratha is exceptional,” he says.

20 21

Well mannered, softly spoken, and with anease about him that can’t hide a countryboy background,Vin Heffernan has had 45years in the tough and sometimes troubledlogging industry in Australia’s south-easterncorner.

His company has evolved in no small waywith the fluctuating fortunes of the loggingand earthmoving industries centred aroundthe coastal town of Eden on the far southcoast of NSW.

Vin’s views forged from time and toil

Hallett Concrete’s fleet of 28 CumminsISC-powered agitator trucks continues torack up the hard operating hours withminimal downtime.

“The fleet has clockedup more than 160,000hours with very fewreliability problems,” saysAny Jordan, HallettConcrete’s operationsmanager.

One of the most striking agitator fleets inthe country lined up in front of HallettConcrete’s Dry Creek plant in Adelaide.

Hallett Concrete’soperations managerAndy Jordan (left)with Cumminsautomotive businessmanager LaurieKennedy.

The Dodge Ram with Cummins powercontinues to be hugely popular in NorthAmerica, and many pickup enthusiasts woulddearly love to see it Down Under.

Whether that happens in the future is opento conjecture, but there’s no doubt a right-hand-drive Ram would claim a specialfollowing in Australia.

In the first quarter of 2004 alone, Cumminsshipped 38,000 engines to Daimler Chryslerin North America for the Ram pickup. Lastyear, Cummins celebrated the shipment ofits one-millionth diesel engine for the Ram.

Our story in the last issueon the Cummins B-seriesengine that had racked upan incredible 70,220 hoursat the Penrith LakesScheme in NSW withoutoverhaul prompted a callfrom the SandfireRoadhouse in the remotenorth west of WesternAustralia.

The roadhouse is on the Great NorthernHighway between Port Hedland and Broome,and is the only fuel stop in 610 km of road.

Power for the roadhouse, which alsoincorporates a motel, tavern and caravan park

complex, comes from three Cummins gensets.

Michael Lanagan, who is responsible for the gensets, says the 100 kW unitpowered by a Cummins 6CT engine was installed 14 years ago and has done

Cummins gensets rack up thehours at remote WA roadhouse

The earthmoving side of his business hasdecreased greatly in recent years, but hestill has one of the biggest and bestequipped fleets of logging trucks in the area.

Vin’s life in logging started when he boughtinto an Eden-based business in 1959.

From an ancient Austin through toInternationals, R-series Macks, and nowWestern Stars which have forged areputation for durability in his operation,Vin Heffernan has moved with the times.

His current fleet of eight logging trucks isdominated by Western Stars withCummins power - a mix of 14-litre units at444, 500 and 525 hp, and three Signature620s, two of which are Generation II units.

The first Western Star came into the fleetin 1988 when Vin decided that a strongerengine brake than the Dynatard in theMacks was needed.

He leaves no doubt that Cummins’ servicesupport in the area, provided by dealerGeoff Cotterill who trades as South-EastTruck & Marine, is one of the key reasons hehas remained loyal to the Cummins brand.

“The service we get from Geoff isexcellent,” he says with obvious conviction.

The first Signature joined the Heffernanfleet in 1999 when Vin began running hisfirst four-axle dog trailer in heavy countrywhich required all the tractive effort andretardation possible.

The top-of-the-rung Signature’s peakoutputs of 630 hp at 1800 rpm and 2050

lb ft of torque from 1100 to 1400 rpm metthe criteria, as did the engine’s ability toprovide up to 600 hp of retardationmuscle from the Intebrake.

Heffernan’s two latest Cummins Signature620s are Generation II engines that wentinto service in Western Star Constellationsin 2003 pulling 62.5-tonne tri-tri B doubles.Both are stirred by 18-speed EatonAutoShift boxes.

One of these trucks laidbare its immense strengthat the recent Trucks InAction in Warragul,Victoria, with regulardriver Patrick Heffernan(a distant relative of Vin’s)demonstrating the unit.Patrick has been workingin the Heffernan loggingoperation for 14 yearshaving done his apprenticeship with thecompany as a plant mechanic.

His previous truck was a Kenworth T950with a Cummins N14-525, pulling a bogie-tri B-double at 58.5 tonnes. “I thought the525 was a good performer but it’s not inthe same league as the Signature.TheSignature outguns it totally and it’spulling bigger weights,” he says.

The Generation II Signatureengines feature a number of newtechnology components such asone-piece steel composite‘monotherm’ pistons which

Vin Heffernan... startedin logging in 1959.

improve durability, reliability and overallcost of ownership.

Now into his 70s,Vin Heffernan has beenaround long enough to know what worksand what doesn’t. His company hasprospered at times and it has also beenaffected by the environmental movementwhich impacted heavily on the livelihoodsof south coast loggers.

He refuses to dwell on the past, however.Like others, he had to battle but he is partof an industry that has got smarter andlearned to do many things very well.

“The excellentservice supportfrom Cumminsand Mack inAdelaide hascontributed tothe minimaldowntime,” heemphasises.

By mid-year afurther sixCummins ISC-powered truckswill be in service.

Most of the fleetis based at

Hallett’s new state-of-the-art concrete plantat Dry Creek, 12 km north of Adelaide’sCBD.The age of the fleet ranges from 4.5years to 18 months, while operating hoursspan 8,500 down to 1000.

The Mack MetroLiner dominates at Hallett,while three Sterlings make up the balance.The standard Cummins ISC rating is 275 hp.

Hallett Concrete undoubtedly operates oneof the most striking agitator fleets in thecountry.

“One of the marketing tools of this businessis having a modern fleet of reliable, cleanvehicles,” says Any Jordan.“The upgrade ofour fleet has certainly helped build newbusiness while underpinning our existingcustomer base.”

In the late ’90s the decision was made toupgrade the Hallett Concrete fleet becauseof the increasing age of existing vehicles andthe related issues of unreliability and risingmaintenance costs.

The common truck in the fleet at that timewas the Louisville 8000 with a Cat 3208 and13-speed Roadranger.

Hallett Concrete’s key requirements for thenew vehicles were an American drivetrainand a cab/chassis designed and engineeredwith the concrete industry in mind.

“We wanted vehicles that in the long termwere going to be reliable and cost effectiveto maintain,” says Andy Jordan.

After looking closely at other readymixconcrete businesses and having discussionswith various truck manufacturers, HallettConcrete decided the Mack MetroLinerwith Cummins ISC power was its bestoption for robustness, parts availability andease of maintenance.

The bowls on the MetroLiners are drivenvia a rear engine power take off.The 8.3-litre ISC Cummins with its full authorityelectronic injection control, punches out275 hp at 2200 rpm, with peak torque of800 lb ft at 1300 rpm.

The first load of concrete was produced atHallett’s impressive new Dry Creek plant inJuly 2002.

Hallett’s original plant was at Pooraka, but itwas acquired second-hand and after 15years of operation needed a major upgradebecause of reliability issues.The decisionwas made to build a brand new plant toeliminate downtime and better utilise thenew fleet of trucks.

A number of independent concreteoperations around the country werestudied before concept drawings and thenworking drawings were put in place.

The manufacturing, erection andcommissioning of the plant was carried outentirely by Mark Pickard’s MSP Group ofwhich Hallett Concrete is a division.

Fastfab Steel manufactured the plant whileMSP Constructions & Lateral Engineeringcarried out the erection/commissioning.

The MSP Group is wholly South Australianowned and a major supplier to theconstruction and building industries.

SignaturepoweredWesternStar isstirred byAutoShifttransmission.

Patrick Heffernan...“Ithought the N14 (525hp) was a goodperformer but it’s notin the same league asthe Signature.”

Dodge says it hasthe boldest,baddest pickupever, and the5.9-litre Cummins

engine is a key weapon in the war with theFord and Chevy pickup trucks.

The following newspaper report from theUS highlights the battle for supremacy, andhow the Cummins-powered Ram has itsnose firmly in front in the performancestakes:

‘The big-diesel-pickup war is raging, andDodge has reclaimed bragging rights as the‘most powerful in the class’ for the RamHeavy Duty with its revised Cummins turbodiesel engine.

It was less than two years ago that Dodgerolled out the newest generation of its RamHeavy Duty pickups, touting the Cummins5.9-litre turbo diesel in-line six-cylinderengine.

Company officials proudly presented thenew diesel as having ‘best-in-class power’ -305 hp and 555 lb ft of torque.

That was late 2002, and although Dodgeofficials at the national media introduction ofthe new Ram Heavy Duty in Chattanooga,Tennessee, seemed to enjoy their truck’sstatus as the new king of the road, thevictory was to be short-lived.

About a month later, Ford introduced theNavistar-built 6.0-litre Power Stroke V8diesel engine for its F-series Super Dutypickups that was more powerful - 325 hpand 560 lb ft of torque.

And even though Ford was tops in powerwith its diesel in 2003, Dodge saw sales ofits Ram Heavy Duty increase 13%, with mostof that growth coming at Ford’s expense.

From early 2004, however, a revisedCummins engine has been offered in theRam, turning out 325 hp and 600 lb ft oftorque.

At the recent introduction of the Ram withthe revised Cummins diesel, Dodge officialsgave some credit for the Ram’s sales gains towell-publicised quality problems Ford hasendured in the past year with the newPower Stroke V8 diesel.

But they also want us to believe that eventhough the Cummins engine introduced lastyear wasn’t quite as powerful as the PowerStroke, it was received better by consumersbecause, well, it’s just a better engine.

Saying that in a crowded bar among a groupof Ford or Chevy big-diesel-pickup fansmight start a riot, but among mostly open-minded automotive journalists, apparentlyDodge folks aren’t afraid to speak their minds.

The stakes in this market are high, andDodge definitely is on a roll.

The Ram pickup lineup overall - includinglight and heavy-duty models - now is thethird-best-selling vehicle line in the UnitedStates, behind the Ford F-series and theChevrolet Silverado (in that order).And,Dodge officials were quick to point out, Ramis ahead of sales of the best-selling cars, theNo. 1 Toyota Camry and No. 2 Honda Accord.

Heavy-duty full-size pickups are expensivefor customers and profitable for dealers andmanufacturers.And their diesel engines areeven more so - it costs nearly US$5,760 to

substitute a Cummins diesel for thestandard petrol 5.7-litre Hemi Magnum V8 inthe Ram Heavy Duty.

Dodge says that nearly three-quarters of itsheavy-duty customers go for the diesel,making it the most important engine in thelineup even though it costs so much more.

With the revisions, the Ram equipped withthe new Cummins engine can tow a trailer

weighing up to 7.5 tonnes - best in class, fornow - and has a maximum payload of 2.4tonnes.Those figures would be for the Ram3500 with dual rear wheels.

“Our truck with the new Cummins enginehas enough power to pull out and pass theFord and Chevy going up the pass in themountains of Nevada,” Russ Ruedisuelli,director of Dodge’s truck marketing team,said.

Automotive journalists who attended themedia rollout in Santa Barbara, California,got to drive the new Ram with theCummins engine up a long mountain gradepulling a trailer loaded with nearly 6.0tonnes of construction equipment, includinga front-end loader.Then they got to drivecomparable Chevrolet and Ford modelspulling trailers loaded exactly the same way.

The Ford went off and left the Chevy abouta third of the way up the grade, but theDodge left both behind - way behind.’In the first quarter of 2004 alone, Cummins

shipped 38,000 engines for the Ram pickup.

Remote SandfireRoadhouse, mid-waybetween Port Hedland andBroome, relies on Cumminsgensets for power.

Cummins-powered Dodge Ramoverpowers the competition

Cummins 6CT has done over 62,000hours without an overhaul.

Latest Dodge Ramwith 325 hpCummins 5.9-litrediesel tows a Catmining truck witha gross vehicleweight of over 70tonnes.

Hallett hails the reliability of agitator fleet

62,700 hours. Sometimes in summer it has been called on to work at 100%load when ambient temperatures have reached 65

oC.

“The 6CT is a beautiful old engine,” Michael says.“It has yet to be overhauled,although it has had a couple of recon turbochargers, a new water pump andbattery alternator, and the main alternator was rewound at 55,000 hours.”

This genset now acts as a back-up to the two other Cummins units, one a 6BTwhich has done 44,000 hours, the other a 6CT with 26,000 hours of operation.These two are rotated depending on load and weather conditions.

“I fuss over them,” confides Michael.“I’m a firm believer in a strict preventivemaintenance program and staying with the same brand of oil. I don’t blow outthe air filters, I replace them.The radiators arecleaned regularly and the alternators are blown outwith a garden leaf blower.

“Spare parts aren’t expensive, and the back-up andhelp from the Cummins people in Perth andKarratha is exceptional,” he says.

20 21

Well mannered, softly spoken, and with anease about him that can’t hide a countryboy background,Vin Heffernan has had 45years in the tough and sometimes troubledlogging industry in Australia’s south-easterncorner.

His company has evolved in no small waywith the fluctuating fortunes of the loggingand earthmoving industries centred aroundthe coastal town of Eden on the far southcoast of NSW.

Vin’s views forged from time and toil

Hallett Concrete’s fleet of 28 CumminsISC-powered agitator trucks continues torack up the hard operating hours withminimal downtime.

“The fleet has clockedup more than 160,000hours with very fewreliability problems,” saysAny Jordan, HallettConcrete’s operationsmanager.

One of the most striking agitator fleets inthe country lined up in front of HallettConcrete’s Dry Creek plant in Adelaide.

Hallett Concrete’soperations managerAndy Jordan (left)with Cumminsautomotive businessmanager LaurieKennedy.

The Dodge Ram with Cummins powercontinues to be hugely popular in NorthAmerica, and many pickup enthusiasts woulddearly love to see it Down Under.

Whether that happens in the future is opento conjecture, but there’s no doubt a right-hand-drive Ram would claim a specialfollowing in Australia.

In the first quarter of 2004 alone, Cumminsshipped 38,000 engines to Daimler Chryslerin North America for the Ram pickup. Lastyear, Cummins celebrated the shipment ofits one-millionth diesel engine for the Ram.

Our story in the last issueon the Cummins B-seriesengine that had racked upan incredible 70,220 hoursat the Penrith LakesScheme in NSW withoutoverhaul prompted a callfrom the SandfireRoadhouse in the remotenorth west of WesternAustralia.

The roadhouse is on the Great NorthernHighway between Port Hedland and Broome,and is the only fuel stop in 610 km of road.

Power for the roadhouse, which alsoincorporates a motel, tavern and caravan park

complex, comes from three Cummins gensets.

Michael Lanagan, who is responsible for the gensets, says the 100 kW unitpowered by a Cummins 6CT engine was installed 14 years ago and has done

Cummins gensets rack up thehours at remote WA roadhouse

The earthmoving side of his business hasdecreased greatly in recent years, but hestill has one of the biggest and bestequipped fleets of logging trucks in the area.

Vin’s life in logging started when he boughtinto an Eden-based business in 1959.

From an ancient Austin through toInternationals, R-series Macks, and nowWestern Stars which have forged areputation for durability in his operation,Vin Heffernan has moved with the times.

His current fleet of eight logging trucks isdominated by Western Stars withCummins power - a mix of 14-litre units at444, 500 and 525 hp, and three Signature620s, two of which are Generation II units.

The first Western Star came into the fleetin 1988 when Vin decided that a strongerengine brake than the Dynatard in theMacks was needed.

He leaves no doubt that Cummins’ servicesupport in the area, provided by dealerGeoff Cotterill who trades as South-EastTruck & Marine, is one of the key reasons hehas remained loyal to the Cummins brand.

“The service we get from Geoff isexcellent,” he says with obvious conviction.

The first Signature joined the Heffernanfleet in 1999 when Vin began running hisfirst four-axle dog trailer in heavy countrywhich required all the tractive effort andretardation possible.

The top-of-the-rung Signature’s peakoutputs of 630 hp at 1800 rpm and 2050

lb ft of torque from 1100 to 1400 rpm metthe criteria, as did the engine’s ability toprovide up to 600 hp of retardationmuscle from the Intebrake.

Heffernan’s two latest Cummins Signature620s are Generation II engines that wentinto service in Western Star Constellationsin 2003 pulling 62.5-tonne tri-tri B doubles.Both are stirred by 18-speed EatonAutoShift boxes.

One of these trucks laidbare its immense strengthat the recent Trucks InAction in Warragul,Victoria, with regulardriver Patrick Heffernan(a distant relative of Vin’s)demonstrating the unit.Patrick has been workingin the Heffernan loggingoperation for 14 yearshaving done his apprenticeship with thecompany as a plant mechanic.

His previous truck was a Kenworth T950with a Cummins N14-525, pulling a bogie-tri B-double at 58.5 tonnes. “I thought the525 was a good performer but it’s not inthe same league as the Signature.TheSignature outguns it totally and it’spulling bigger weights,” he says.

The Generation II Signatureengines feature a number of newtechnology components such asone-piece steel composite‘monotherm’ pistons which

Vin Heffernan... startedin logging in 1959.

improve durability, reliability and overallcost of ownership.

Now into his 70s,Vin Heffernan has beenaround long enough to know what worksand what doesn’t. His company hasprospered at times and it has also beenaffected by the environmental movementwhich impacted heavily on the livelihoodsof south coast loggers.

He refuses to dwell on the past, however.Like others, he had to battle but he is partof an industry that has got smarter andlearned to do many things very well.

“The excellentservice supportfrom Cumminsand Mack inAdelaide hascontributed tothe minimaldowntime,” heemphasises.

By mid-year afurther sixCummins ISC-powered truckswill be in service.

Most of the fleetis based at

Hallett’s new state-of-the-art concrete plantat Dry Creek, 12 km north of Adelaide’sCBD.The age of the fleet ranges from 4.5years to 18 months, while operating hoursspan 8,500 down to 1000.

The Mack MetroLiner dominates at Hallett,while three Sterlings make up the balance.The standard Cummins ISC rating is 275 hp.

Hallett Concrete undoubtedly operates oneof the most striking agitator fleets in thecountry.

“One of the marketing tools of this businessis having a modern fleet of reliable, cleanvehicles,” says Any Jordan.“The upgrade ofour fleet has certainly helped build newbusiness while underpinning our existingcustomer base.”

In the late ’90s the decision was made toupgrade the Hallett Concrete fleet becauseof the increasing age of existing vehicles andthe related issues of unreliability and risingmaintenance costs.

The common truck in the fleet at that timewas the Louisville 8000 with a Cat 3208 and13-speed Roadranger.

Hallett Concrete’s key requirements for thenew vehicles were an American drivetrainand a cab/chassis designed and engineeredwith the concrete industry in mind.

“We wanted vehicles that in the long termwere going to be reliable and cost effectiveto maintain,” says Andy Jordan.

After looking closely at other readymixconcrete businesses and having discussionswith various truck manufacturers, HallettConcrete decided the Mack MetroLinerwith Cummins ISC power was its bestoption for robustness, parts availability andease of maintenance.

The bowls on the MetroLiners are drivenvia a rear engine power take off.The 8.3-litre ISC Cummins with its full authorityelectronic injection control, punches out275 hp at 2200 rpm, with peak torque of800 lb ft at 1300 rpm.

The first load of concrete was produced atHallett’s impressive new Dry Creek plant inJuly 2002.

Hallett’s original plant was at Pooraka, but itwas acquired second-hand and after 15years of operation needed a major upgradebecause of reliability issues.The decisionwas made to build a brand new plant toeliminate downtime and better utilise thenew fleet of trucks.

A number of independent concreteoperations around the country werestudied before concept drawings and thenworking drawings were put in place.

The manufacturing, erection andcommissioning of the plant was carried outentirely by Mark Pickard’s MSP Group ofwhich Hallett Concrete is a division.

Fastfab Steel manufactured the plant whileMSP Constructions & Lateral Engineeringcarried out the erection/commissioning.

The MSP Group is wholly South Australianowned and a major supplier to theconstruction and building industries.

SignaturepoweredWesternStar isstirred byAutoShifttransmission.

Patrick Heffernan...“Ithought the N14 (525hp) was a goodperformer but it’s notin the same league asthe Signature.”

Dodge says it hasthe boldest,baddest pickupever, and the5.9-litre Cummins

engine is a key weapon in the war with theFord and Chevy pickup trucks.

The following newspaper report from theUS highlights the battle for supremacy, andhow the Cummins-powered Ram has itsnose firmly in front in the performancestakes:

‘The big-diesel-pickup war is raging, andDodge has reclaimed bragging rights as the‘most powerful in the class’ for the RamHeavy Duty with its revised Cummins turbodiesel engine.

It was less than two years ago that Dodgerolled out the newest generation of its RamHeavy Duty pickups, touting the Cummins5.9-litre turbo diesel in-line six-cylinderengine.

Company officials proudly presented thenew diesel as having ‘best-in-class power’ -305 hp and 555 lb ft of torque.

That was late 2002, and although Dodgeofficials at the national media introduction ofthe new Ram Heavy Duty in Chattanooga,Tennessee, seemed to enjoy their truck’sstatus as the new king of the road, thevictory was to be short-lived.

About a month later, Ford introduced theNavistar-built 6.0-litre Power Stroke V8diesel engine for its F-series Super Dutypickups that was more powerful - 325 hpand 560 lb ft of torque.

And even though Ford was tops in powerwith its diesel in 2003, Dodge saw sales ofits Ram Heavy Duty increase 13%, with mostof that growth coming at Ford’s expense.

From early 2004, however, a revisedCummins engine has been offered in theRam, turning out 325 hp and 600 lb ft oftorque.

At the recent introduction of the Ram withthe revised Cummins diesel, Dodge officialsgave some credit for the Ram’s sales gains towell-publicised quality problems Ford hasendured in the past year with the newPower Stroke V8 diesel.

But they also want us to believe that eventhough the Cummins engine introduced lastyear wasn’t quite as powerful as the PowerStroke, it was received better by consumersbecause, well, it’s just a better engine.

Saying that in a crowded bar among a groupof Ford or Chevy big-diesel-pickup fansmight start a riot, but among mostly open-minded automotive journalists, apparentlyDodge folks aren’t afraid to speak their minds.

The stakes in this market are high, andDodge definitely is on a roll.

The Ram pickup lineup overall - includinglight and heavy-duty models - now is thethird-best-selling vehicle line in the UnitedStates, behind the Ford F-series and theChevrolet Silverado (in that order).And,Dodge officials were quick to point out, Ramis ahead of sales of the best-selling cars, theNo. 1 Toyota Camry and No. 2 Honda Accord.

Heavy-duty full-size pickups are expensivefor customers and profitable for dealers andmanufacturers.And their diesel engines areeven more so - it costs nearly US$5,760 to

substitute a Cummins diesel for thestandard petrol 5.7-litre Hemi Magnum V8 inthe Ram Heavy Duty.

Dodge says that nearly three-quarters of itsheavy-duty customers go for the diesel,making it the most important engine in thelineup even though it costs so much more.

With the revisions, the Ram equipped withthe new Cummins engine can tow a trailer

weighing up to 7.5 tonnes - best in class, fornow - and has a maximum payload of 2.4tonnes.Those figures would be for the Ram3500 with dual rear wheels.

“Our truck with the new Cummins enginehas enough power to pull out and pass theFord and Chevy going up the pass in themountains of Nevada,” Russ Ruedisuelli,director of Dodge’s truck marketing team,said.

Automotive journalists who attended themedia rollout in Santa Barbara, California,got to drive the new Ram with theCummins engine up a long mountain gradepulling a trailer loaded with nearly 6.0tonnes of construction equipment, includinga front-end loader.Then they got to drivecomparable Chevrolet and Ford modelspulling trailers loaded exactly the same way.

The Ford went off and left the Chevy abouta third of the way up the grade, but theDodge left both behind - way behind.’In the first quarter of 2004 alone, Cummins

shipped 38,000 engines for the Ram pickup.

Remote SandfireRoadhouse, mid-waybetween Port Hedland andBroome, relies on Cumminsgensets for power.

Cummins-powered Dodge Ramoverpowers the competition

Cummins 6CT has done over 62,000hours without an overhaul.

Latest Dodge Ramwith 325 hpCummins 5.9-litrediesel tows a Catmining truck witha gross vehicleweight of over 70tonnes.

Hallett hails the reliability of agitator fleet

22 23

Ross Fraser’s election aschairman of the AustralianTrucking Association in Aprilwas the start of a notableyear in more ways than onefor a man whose involvementin the road transportindustry spans 44 years.

Ross is managing director ofFrasers Livestock Transport, afamily-owned companycelebrating its 60thanniversary this year.

His appointment as chairmanof the Australian TruckingAssociation (ATA) followsyears of industry associationinvolvement.

He is a past president ofboth the Australian LivestockTransporters Association(ALTA) and the LivestockTransporters Association ofQueensland (LTAQ).

Ross Fraser wants the ATAto operate, like any goodbusiness, with emphasis onteamwork.

“We have a powerful groupof industry people on the ATA Board andCouncil and very good people in theSecretariat,” he points out.

“We have to pull all that expertisetogether and use it to run a strong agendafor the whole transport industry.”

He cites the highly effective livestocksector, which represents only 4% of trucksin Australia, as proof of what can beachieved through unity. Every majorlivestock carrier in Australia is a memberof the ALTA which is backed up by strongstate associations.

The new ATA chairman says immediateagenda items included retention of thecurrent ‘effective life’ of trucks and trailersfor tax depreciation, road infrastructure,and the issue of rising cost imposts on

One more challenge for Ross Fraserafter 44 years in family business

road transport, particularly with regard tonew emissions standards due forimplementation in 2006.

He says ‘just-in-time’ practices dictate thattrucks are increasingly taking the place ofwarehouses .

“Government must acknowledge thatfurther imposts on road transport willseverely impact on the national economy,”says Ross.

He points out that he was approached by anumber of people to put his name forwardfor chairmanship of the ATA.

“I gave it a lot of thought before decidingto put my hand up.You can only dosomething like this if you have a reallygood team within your own company, and Icertainly have that,” he says.

Cummins has supplied Sykes Pumps with18 CustomPaks which are being used todrive emergency response pumps forSydney Water.

The pumps are either trailer ortruck-mounted, and are designed forsewage bypass if there is power failure at asewage pumping station.

Newcastle-based Sykes is Australia’s largestmanufacturer and distributor of heavy-dutypumps and accessories and has significantexport sales.

Cummins is a major supplier ofpowerpacks to Sykes.The CumminsCustomPak is a complete power packagecomprising engine, skid base, radiator,instrumentation and filtration.

Pumpedup forSydneyWater

“We have a lot of valued long-termemployees, including some aged under40 who have been with us for 20 years.

“We believe that our people are ourmost important asset and that loyaltyreceived is deserving of loyalty inreturn.”

Frasers Livestock Transport today runs afleet of 45 Cummins-powered Kenworthsand, at any one time, can have up to 22B-doubles and 15 roadtrains operatingacross the eastern states of Australia.

Home base at Warwick, Queensland, issupported by depots at Goondiwindi,Dalby and Roma.

“I’ve been directly involved in this businessfor 44 years,” says Ross, whose brothers

The pumps for Sydney Water range in sizefrom 152 to 305 mm, with flow rates from26 litres to 320 litres a second, and theyare driven by a range of Cummins B-seriesand M11 engines.

Sykes’ competitive advantage, says nationalproduct manager Chris O’Brien, is itsAustralian manufacturing capability and24-hour parts and service support.

He points out that Cummins’technical and service supportcapability in Newcastle as wellas around the country is animportant reason behindCummins’ standing as a majorsupplier to Sykes.

Ross and wife Donna.

Ross Fraser...chairman of theATA and managing director of a60-year-old family company thattoday operates 45 Cummins-powered Kenworths.

Cummins has worked closely with Sykesin recent years on engineering specificsolutions to meet customer demands.These include electronic control of pumpspeed to maintain constant water level ina reservoir; a pocket transmitter forremote start/stop of a pump; and speciallymodified CustomPaks for pumpsexported to India that are capable ofreliable operation in monsoon conditions.

One of the 18 CustomPaksfor Sydney Water.

Les and Peter are also directors of thecompany and play key roles in day-to-dayoperations.

Their parents, Charlie and Edna Fraser,started the company in 1944 with aLendLease Ford carting poultry, grain,wood and hay.

“Dad is 83 now and he still comes in everymorning and opens the mail,” says Ross.

Fleetguard is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cummins.

In his new role, Peter has responsibility for Japan, Korea,China, the Asean countries, and the South Pacific.

Peter started with Fleetguard Australia in 1977 and heldpositions in finance and logistics before his appointmentas area director of the South Pacific region in 1991.

He moved to the US in 1996 to take up the role as plantmanager at Fleetguard’s Cookeville plant, and then in1999 he became director of finance for Cummins’ powergeneration business unit, based in Columbus.

From 2001 he held senior management roles atFleetguard Nelson before moving back to Australia thisyear to take up the position as vice-president of the AsiaPacific region.

Peter Hughes inFleetguard v-p role

Peter Hughes is the new vice-president ofFleetguard Asia Pacific.

When Paulus van Zantvoort of Clevedon near Auckland,New Zealand, decided to put a pair of new trucks on hiscontract with Toll Tranzlink for an inter-island refrigeratedrun, Cummins was an integral element of what turned outto be a very interesting recipe.

The model of truck he chose was the Freightliner Argosyin 110-inch mid-roof sleeper cab format and the powerplantwas the Cummins Signature, rated to 580 hp but easilyre-rateable to 620 hp.

Paulus’ company,Vanzanco, was already running an Argosy6x4 on an Auckland-Hamilton and Auckland-Taupo doubleshift and he was pleased with suitability for the job.

But the longer run with itstight time schedules neededenough power to not losetime on the several hillclimbs involved, which iswhere the Signature comesinto the picture.

As Paulus explains:“Ithoroughly researched theSignature and found it to bea good reliable engine -something that’s reallyimportant when a truck iscovering 6,500 km perweek.

“I also figured the CumminsIntebrake system would beideal for the run, because

Progression to 15-litre,dual overhead camCummins power wasnatural for Boral hauliers,Rodney Gorham andChris Morris, who arebased at Emu Plains westof Sydney, at the foot ofthe Blue Mountains.

Both have Western StarConstellations whichwere put to work earlythis year. Chris Morrischose an ISX 475 for hisConstellation 4900, whileRodney Gorham decided on the luxury of a Signature620 (with chrome rocker cover!).

Cummins service support and the low cost of ownershipof their previous Cummins engines were the key factorsthat swung the two men over to ISX/SignatureGeneration II power.

“We just can’t fault Cummins service support,” says ChrisMorris.

Rodney Gorham has been tipper work for 16 years. Hisprevious truck was a Heritage Western Star with a 500 hpCummins N14 Plus, and before that he had a 400 hp14-litre Big Cam in a Ford LTL.

While a Signature 620 may seem overkill for mainly shorthaul work, Rodney had specific reasons for speccing the15-litre dual overhead cam engine.

“I looked at resale value and also the fact you neverknow what’s around the corner in terms of work. I couldwell get more mountain work or more country work inwhich case I’ve got exactly the right spec.

Signature 580 showing great form on NZ run

Generation II engine anatural choice for Boral hauliers

we are carrying heavier loads than a conventional NewZealand semi.”

This is where the really intriguing part of the new truckcomes in, for though it began life as medium-wheelbase6x4, it has been fitted with an extra, air-suspended pusheraxle ahead of the drive set, making it nominally an 8x4but with only one steer axle.

This is to achieve optimum weight distribution when the14-metre, quad-axle Maxitrans trailer is fully loaded tothe combination’s allowable all-up weight of 45 tonnes(Kiwi triaxle semis are limited to 39 tonnes includingallowance).

Paulus also has the intermediatefuture very much in mind. Should theregulations change to allow 50-tonnerigs, the combination will be able tohandle the weight without modification.

Quad semis are a relatively recentintroduction to New Zealand.Theregulations require two of the axlesto be passive steer, the most favouredlayout being the rear two doingthis job.

With the rig unladen the pusheraxle can be lifted for reducedtyre wear. However, most of thetime it’s loaded, so the axle staysdown.

With just 30,000 km under itsbelt, the Signature in the first ofthe new trucks is settling wellinto its task. Day driver KieranCarroll drives it from Taupo toAuckland return, handing over to

Shane Robinson who takes it on toWellington for a trailer swap off theinter-island ferry.The second,identical Argosy will soon be takingover on the Dunedin-Picton SouthIsland leg.

Kieran finds the Cummins is goodfor up to half an hour time saving onthe North Island loop.

“It’s not that we go any faster on the flat, but the way ithandles the long hills is marvellous. On a couple of them Ifind I’m reaching the top at around 85 km/h where mosttrucks are down to 45 km/h. Downhills are equally asgood, for the Intebrake really takes charge.”

Still a long way from being fully loose, the Signature ishowever already showing great fuel economy. Kieranreports the readout has climbed quickly to 1.97 km/litreand estimates it won’t be long before it tops 2.2 km/litre.

Paulus van Zantvoort...“I thoroughly researchedthe Signature and foundit to be a good reliableengine.”

“As it is now, theSignature does the job soeasy and the engine brakeis phenomenal,” Rodneypoints out. “Comingdown the mountain theSignature is at least a fullgear better on the enginebrake than the N14.”

Chris Morris’s previoustruck was a HeritageWestern Star with anN14-460, and before thathe had a W900 Kenworth

powered by a 400 hp Big Cam Cummins.

He wanted the latest technology iron in his newConstellation, and the ISX was the perfect solution.

“Performance of the ISX is excellent,” says Chris,“and theengine brake is brilliant.”

Chris Morris (left) and Rodney Gorham

Kieran Carroll...“The way the Signaturehandles the long hills is marvellous.”

22 23

Ross Fraser’s election aschairman of the AustralianTrucking Association in Aprilwas the start of a notableyear in more ways than onefor a man whose involvementin the road transportindustry spans 44 years.

Ross is managing director ofFrasers Livestock Transport, afamily-owned companycelebrating its 60thanniversary this year.

His appointment as chairmanof the Australian TruckingAssociation (ATA) followsyears of industry associationinvolvement.

He is a past president ofboth the Australian LivestockTransporters Association(ALTA) and the LivestockTransporters Association ofQueensland (LTAQ).

Ross Fraser wants the ATAto operate, like any goodbusiness, with emphasis onteamwork.

“We have a powerful groupof industry people on the ATA Board andCouncil and very good people in theSecretariat,” he points out.

“We have to pull all that expertisetogether and use it to run a strong agendafor the whole transport industry.”

He cites the highly effective livestocksector, which represents only 4% of trucksin Australia, as proof of what can beachieved through unity. Every majorlivestock carrier in Australia is a memberof the ALTA which is backed up by strongstate associations.

The new ATA chairman says immediateagenda items included retention of thecurrent ‘effective life’ of trucks and trailersfor tax depreciation, road infrastructure,and the issue of rising cost imposts on

One more challenge for Ross Fraserafter 44 years in family business

road transport, particularly with regard tonew emissions standards due forimplementation in 2006.

He says ‘just-in-time’ practices dictate thattrucks are increasingly taking the place ofwarehouses .

“Government must acknowledge thatfurther imposts on road transport willseverely impact on the national economy,”says Ross.

He points out that he was approached by anumber of people to put his name forwardfor chairmanship of the ATA.

“I gave it a lot of thought before decidingto put my hand up.You can only dosomething like this if you have a reallygood team within your own company, and Icertainly have that,” he says.

Cummins has supplied Sykes Pumps with18 CustomPaks which are being used todrive emergency response pumps forSydney Water.

The pumps are either trailer ortruck-mounted, and are designed forsewage bypass if there is power failure at asewage pumping station.

Newcastle-based Sykes is Australia’s largestmanufacturer and distributor of heavy-dutypumps and accessories and has significantexport sales.

Cummins is a major supplier ofpowerpacks to Sykes.The CumminsCustomPak is a complete power packagecomprising engine, skid base, radiator,instrumentation and filtration.

Pumpedup forSydneyWater

“We have a lot of valued long-termemployees, including some aged under40 who have been with us for 20 years.

“We believe that our people are ourmost important asset and that loyaltyreceived is deserving of loyalty inreturn.”

Frasers Livestock Transport today runs afleet of 45 Cummins-powered Kenworthsand, at any one time, can have up to 22B-doubles and 15 roadtrains operatingacross the eastern states of Australia.

Home base at Warwick, Queensland, issupported by depots at Goondiwindi,Dalby and Roma.

“I’ve been directly involved in this businessfor 44 years,” says Ross, whose brothers

The pumps for Sydney Water range in sizefrom 152 to 305 mm, with flow rates from26 litres to 320 litres a second, and theyare driven by a range of Cummins B-seriesand M11 engines.

Sykes’ competitive advantage, says nationalproduct manager Chris O’Brien, is itsAustralian manufacturing capability and24-hour parts and service support.

He points out that Cummins’technical and service supportcapability in Newcastle as wellas around the country is animportant reason behindCummins’ standing as a majorsupplier to Sykes.

Ross and wife Donna.

Ross Fraser...chairman of theATA and managing director of a60-year-old family company thattoday operates 45 Cummins-powered Kenworths.

Cummins has worked closely with Sykesin recent years on engineering specificsolutions to meet customer demands.These include electronic control of pumpspeed to maintain constant water level ina reservoir; a pocket transmitter forremote start/stop of a pump; and speciallymodified CustomPaks for pumpsexported to India that are capable ofreliable operation in monsoon conditions.

One of the 18 CustomPaksfor Sydney Water.

Les and Peter are also directors of thecompany and play key roles in day-to-dayoperations.

Their parents, Charlie and Edna Fraser,started the company in 1944 with aLendLease Ford carting poultry, grain,wood and hay.

“Dad is 83 now and he still comes in everymorning and opens the mail,” says Ross.

Fleetguard is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cummins.

In his new role, Peter has responsibility for Japan, Korea,China, the Asean countries, and the South Pacific.

Peter started with Fleetguard Australia in 1977 and heldpositions in finance and logistics before his appointmentas area director of the South Pacific region in 1991.

He moved to the US in 1996 to take up the role as plantmanager at Fleetguard’s Cookeville plant, and then in1999 he became director of finance for Cummins’ powergeneration business unit, based in Columbus.

From 2001 he held senior management roles atFleetguard Nelson before moving back to Australia thisyear to take up the position as vice-president of the AsiaPacific region.

Peter Hughes inFleetguard v-p role

Peter Hughes is the new vice-president ofFleetguard Asia Pacific.

When Paulus van Zantvoort of Clevedon near Auckland,New Zealand, decided to put a pair of new trucks on hiscontract with Toll Tranzlink for an inter-island refrigeratedrun, Cummins was an integral element of what turned outto be a very interesting recipe.

The model of truck he chose was the Freightliner Argosyin 110-inch mid-roof sleeper cab format and the powerplantwas the Cummins Signature, rated to 580 hp but easilyre-rateable to 620 hp.

Paulus’ company,Vanzanco, was already running an Argosy6x4 on an Auckland-Hamilton and Auckland-Taupo doubleshift and he was pleased with suitability for the job.

But the longer run with itstight time schedules neededenough power to not losetime on the several hillclimbs involved, which iswhere the Signature comesinto the picture.

As Paulus explains:“Ithoroughly researched theSignature and found it to bea good reliable engine -something that’s reallyimportant when a truck iscovering 6,500 km perweek.

“I also figured the CumminsIntebrake system would beideal for the run, because

Progression to 15-litre,dual overhead camCummins power wasnatural for Boral hauliers,Rodney Gorham andChris Morris, who arebased at Emu Plains westof Sydney, at the foot ofthe Blue Mountains.

Both have Western StarConstellations whichwere put to work earlythis year. Chris Morrischose an ISX 475 for hisConstellation 4900, whileRodney Gorham decided on the luxury of a Signature620 (with chrome rocker cover!).

Cummins service support and the low cost of ownershipof their previous Cummins engines were the key factorsthat swung the two men over to ISX/SignatureGeneration II power.

“We just can’t fault Cummins service support,” says ChrisMorris.

Rodney Gorham has been tipper work for 16 years. Hisprevious truck was a Heritage Western Star with a 500 hpCummins N14 Plus, and before that he had a 400 hp14-litre Big Cam in a Ford LTL.

While a Signature 620 may seem overkill for mainly shorthaul work, Rodney had specific reasons for speccing the15-litre dual overhead cam engine.

“I looked at resale value and also the fact you neverknow what’s around the corner in terms of work. I couldwell get more mountain work or more country work inwhich case I’ve got exactly the right spec.

Signature 580 showing great form on NZ run

Generation II engine anatural choice for Boral hauliers

we are carrying heavier loads than a conventional NewZealand semi.”

This is where the really intriguing part of the new truckcomes in, for though it began life as medium-wheelbase6x4, it has been fitted with an extra, air-suspended pusheraxle ahead of the drive set, making it nominally an 8x4but with only one steer axle.

This is to achieve optimum weight distribution when the14-metre, quad-axle Maxitrans trailer is fully loaded tothe combination’s allowable all-up weight of 45 tonnes(Kiwi triaxle semis are limited to 39 tonnes includingallowance).

Paulus also has the intermediatefuture very much in mind. Should theregulations change to allow 50-tonnerigs, the combination will be able tohandle the weight without modification.

Quad semis are a relatively recentintroduction to New Zealand.Theregulations require two of the axlesto be passive steer, the most favouredlayout being the rear two doingthis job.

With the rig unladen the pusheraxle can be lifted for reducedtyre wear. However, most of thetime it’s loaded, so the axle staysdown.

With just 30,000 km under itsbelt, the Signature in the first ofthe new trucks is settling wellinto its task. Day driver KieranCarroll drives it from Taupo toAuckland return, handing over to

Shane Robinson who takes it on toWellington for a trailer swap off theinter-island ferry.The second,identical Argosy will soon be takingover on the Dunedin-Picton SouthIsland leg.

Kieran finds the Cummins is goodfor up to half an hour time saving onthe North Island loop.

“It’s not that we go any faster on the flat, but the way ithandles the long hills is marvellous. On a couple of them Ifind I’m reaching the top at around 85 km/h where mosttrucks are down to 45 km/h. Downhills are equally asgood, for the Intebrake really takes charge.”

Still a long way from being fully loose, the Signature ishowever already showing great fuel economy. Kieranreports the readout has climbed quickly to 1.97 km/litreand estimates it won’t be long before it tops 2.2 km/litre.

Paulus van Zantvoort...“I thoroughly researchedthe Signature and foundit to be a good reliableengine.”

“As it is now, theSignature does the job soeasy and the engine brakeis phenomenal,” Rodneypoints out. “Comingdown the mountain theSignature is at least a fullgear better on the enginebrake than the N14.”

Chris Morris’s previoustruck was a HeritageWestern Star with anN14-460, and before thathe had a W900 Kenworth

powered by a 400 hp Big Cam Cummins.

He wanted the latest technology iron in his newConstellation, and the ISX was the perfect solution.

“Performance of the ISX is excellent,” says Chris,“and theengine brake is brilliant.”

Chris Morris (left) and Rodney Gorham

Kieran Carroll...“The way the Signaturehandles the long hills is marvellous.”

is maintained over a 300 rpm band, from1500 rpm back to 1300 rpm.

An interesting point is that this 1950 lb ftpeak is 300 lb ft higher than the torque ofthe old 600 hp K19 Cummins, an enginethat endeared itself to many roadtrainoperators for its performance andproductivity.

In the BGC trucks, the QSK19 drivesthrough Eaton’s 18-speed RTLO-22918box into Sisu hub reduction rears turningat 5.56:1.Top speed is set at a touch above85 km/h, with the engine turning over at1800 rpm.

Some long pulls atKoolyanobbing see theloaded BGC trucksgrunting down throughhigh range in the 18-speedbox, but then the QSK19lays bare its immensestrength to destroy anynotion that low range willbe needed.

The QSK19 in combinationwith the C510 Kenworthis already a proven heavyhauler. In the NorthernTerritory’s Tanami Desert,Bulkhaul operates fourC510s with 18.9 litreCummins power,hauling gold-bearingore in 400-tonne, six-trailer roadtrains whichincorporate a powertrailer.

The C510 wasoriginally developed forBulkhaul’s desertoperation. It’s a highlyspecialised truck, asquare-shoulderedbrute with a massive

24

Cummins Commentary is published by Cummins South Pacific.

2 Caribbean Drive, Scoresby VIC 3179 Australia.

Phone: (61-3) 9765 3222

Editor: Murray Clifford Phone: 0419 268 289

The roadtrain is a merespeck in the distance, butthe hills behind areshimmering in the heat hazefrom the exhaust.A tri-driveKenworth C510 soon takesshape, its Cummins QSK19engine obviously exertingmaximum muscle to pull thethree trailers loaded withiron ore.

This is one of BGCContracting’s newheavyweight haulers -QSK19-powered roadtrains,eight of which will be inoperation by August, movingup to 225,000 tonnes ofiron ore each month.

There’s no respite for thebig banger Cumminsengines.They’re under heavy load all thetime, hauling payloads of up to 190 tonneseach trip. Running empty even meanspulling a weight of 84 tonnes.

Propelling C510 Kenworths through threedrive axles, the QSK19s are working at theKoolyanobbing Iron Ore Project, 54 kmnorth-north east of Southern Cross inWestern Australia.The project is 100%owned by Portman Ltd, a top 50 Australianresource company.

BGC Contracting, a division of LenBuckeridge’s BGC Group, won the contractto haul the ore from the mine to theprocessing plant in a contract that extendsover five years.

There’s no replacement for displacement,and the brawn ofthe 18.9-litreQSK19 is the keyreason BGCContractingspecified theCummins for thejob. Simpleeconomics!

BGC looked atdifferent options,but at the end ofthe day had its

sights focused firmly on the QSK19 forlong life to overhaul.

The company didn’t want to be rebuildingengines every 6,000 to 8,000 hours whichit would have been doing with smallercapacity engines in this job.

The QSK19s are working ‘round the clock atKoolyanobbing pulling three side-tippers onloaded legs of 80 to 100 km, and each will doin excess of 6,000 punishing hours a year.

They’re belting out 600 hp at 2100rpm, with a torque peak of 1950 lb ftat 1300 rpm - outputs that are wellbelow the maximum capability of thebig bore Cummins which can be set at650, 700 or 760 hp with prodigiouspeak torque of 2275 lb ft.

However, so as not to compromisetransmission and drive axle life, theQSK19 is rated at 600 hp/1950 lb ft inthe BGC operation. Even at thisconservative level, the power andtorque curves stamp the QSK19 as asevere-duty workhorse.

For example, more than 500 hp is on tapfrom 1350 rpm through to 2100 rpm,while torque is above the 1700 lb ft markfrom 1800 rpm right back to 1200 rpm.The full 600 hp actually punches in overa 400 rpm range, from 1800 rpm to2100 rpm, while peak torque of 1950 lb ft

cooling system to handle scorchingsummer temperatures.

Under the sprawling bonnet, massive twin1900 in2 radiators are fitted in series, onecooling the block of the big bore QSK19,the other cooling the intake charge air.

The fan is independent of the engine and ishydraulically driven to provide smooth,shock-free operation. It runs constantly atan idle of 600 rpm until coolant temperaturerises, when fan speed ramps up andsupplies just the right amount of airflowfor the task.

A key benefit of this system is that thetruck is not subjected to sudden fanengagement and loss of available powerwhen it’s needed most.

The QSK19 isn’t new to Australia. It wasintroduced back in 1996 as an industrialengine and has gone on to establish anoutstanding reputation, particularly insevere-duty mining applications.

It is the modern descendant of the K19complete with full-authority electronicsand major upgrades to around 70% of theengine’s componentry, including crankshaft,pistons and rings, liners, camshaft, cylinderhead, valves and geartrain.

A lot more is sure to be heard of theQSK19 in roadtrain applications wherethere’s a demand for increased engine lifeat high train weights.

QSK19s crank up at Koolyanobbing

BGC’s site manager at KoolyanobbingGreg Taylor (left) with Cummins Kalgoorliebranch manager Bill Sturges.