The Caterpillar 777 is a 100-ton off-highway haul truck, the kind of machine that carries rock out of an open pit mine. It has been built by Caterpillar Inc. since 1974, when the first model of the line was introduced.
Caterpillar 777 at a glance
| Type | off-highway haul truck |
|---|---|
| Payload class | 100 tons |
| First model | introduced in 1974 |
| First model engine | 870 hp (650 kW) diesel |
| 777D | introduced in 1996, 938 hp (699 kW) |
| Use | open pit mining |
| Maker | Caterpillar Inc., United States |
| Seen in the film | a 777 carried on an 11-axle lowboy trailer |
The English Wikipedia article is short and gives only the payload class and the engine outputs of the first model and the 777D; details of the later versions are not covered there.
History of the Caterpillar 777
From 1974
The first model of the Caterpillar 777 was introduced in 1974. Its diesel engine puts out 870 hp (650 kW), and the truck is rated at 100 tons, a size that places it among the smaller machines of a modern open pit fleet but well above a road lorry. Trucks of this class are built for the haul roads of mines rather than for public roads, and moving one between sites needs a special trailer: in the film below a 777 travels on an 11-axle lowboy.
The 777D
In 1996 Caterpillar introduced the 777D, which was powered by a 938 hp (699 kW) diesel. The later 777E appears in the photographs on this page; it is a further version of the same line, still sold for mining work.
Design and features
- 100-ton payload class: the size that defines the model.
- Diesel power: 870 hp (650 kW) in the first model of 1974.
- 777D of 1996: a more powerful version with 938 hp (699 kW).
- Mining work: designed for haul roads in open pit mines.
Caterpillar 777 versions
- 777 (1974): the original model, 870 hp (650 kW).
- 777D (1996): 938 hp (699 kW).
- 777E: a later version of the line, shown in the photographs here.
The 777 is the smaller relative of the ultra-class Caterpillar 797, and the engines of both have also powered the company’s big dozers, such as the D10. More machines are in the Caterpillar collection.
Video: Caterpillar 777 Mining Haul Truck Transported by 11 Axle Lowboy
Video by Big Rig Videos on YouTube.
Sources
- Caterpillar 777, English Wikipedia: payload class, 1974 introduction, engine outputs of the 777 and 777D
