The Terex 33-19 “Titan” was a prototype off-highway, ultra class, rigid frame, three-axle haul truck with a diesel/AC electric engine that was built in 1973 at the General Motors Diesel Division’s assembly plant in London, Ontario, Cᴀɴᴀᴅᴀ. The 33-19 was the largest and most capable haul truck ever built, and it was only ever made once. The 33-19 was restored and is now placed on static display as a tourist attraction in Sparwood, British Columbia, Cᴀɴᴀᴅᴀ, after serving for 13 years.
In answer to open pit mine owners’ need for more effective haul trucks, General Motors created the Titan. GM predicted that the amount of ore transported by surface mine operators’ trucks would rise globally due to a general decline in the quality of mineral ore and the anticipated requirement to mine tar sands and tar shale. The Terex 33 series of off-road haul trucks, which also comprised the 33-03, 33-05, 33-07, 33-09, 33-11, and the 33-15, contained the Titan as their largest model. The other, smaller haul truck models in the 33 series used mechanical powertrains, while the 33-19 and 33-15 both used diesel/AC electric powertrains.
In 1973, the General Motors Diesel Division’s assembly facility in London, Ontario, Cᴀɴᴀᴅᴀ, built the Titan. At the American Mining Congress in Las Vegas, Nevada, in October 1974, The Titan was first presented to the general public.
GM estimated that the Titan would cost roughly US$1.5 million (or $7 million now) when it went into regular production in 1976. The Titan, however, was never put into regular production. In response to a softening of the global coal market in the late 1970s, coal mines reduced production and cut costs by refurbishing existing machinery or by investing in smaller haul trucks with established track records. The 33-19 “Titananticipated “‘s market never materialized, and only the prototype was ever put together.
In a 1977 Terex television commercial, The Titan and legendary golfer Jack Nicklaus co-starred. The ad begins with Nicklaus ʜɪᴛting golf balls while standing in the Titan’s loaded bed and ᴄʟᴏsᴇs with a shot of Nicklaus standing amid many of Terex’s then-current products.
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