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Bagdad Copper Mine

06/09/2005



06/09/2005

Ever been to a big pit copper mine? Well, neither had we, so along with our intrepid friends, Don & Arlene, we made a reservation to tour the Phelps-Dodge Copper Mine in Bagdad, AZ.

No, it's not a misspelling of the Iraqi city. According to legend the first miners were a father & son team. The ore was hauled out on mules in bags. When the son needed another bag he'd yell "bag Dad".


You wouldn't believe how much fun we had. Our guide, Bob Delgato, is a retired miner from Bagdad and he took us everywhere we were allowed to go and showed us everything.

Those trucks that haul the rock ore are so huge, but in the pit they look like toys.
Everything about this place is BIG.
Big trucks, big front loaders, big pit.

If you ever get a chance to do this you should.
I only hope you get a guy like Bob.
Not once did he roll his eyes at our stupid questions.



PICTURES/Bagdad Copper Mine/t_Bagdad Sign.jpg
Bagdad is a rather small town. It's a true company town with Phelps-Dodge owning the buildings, housing, etc.
PICTURES/Bagdad Copper Mine/t_Statues in Bagdad.JPG
Statues dedicated to miners.
PICTURES/Bagdad Copper Mine/t_Don, Arlene, Sharon & George.jpg
The happy group standing in front of the big pit
PICTURES/Bagdad Copper Mine/t_Sharon on Tire.jpg
This is a little tire from some of the older equipment no longer used
PICTURES/Bagdad Copper Mine/t_Trucks in pit 1.jpg
This is part of the copper pit. It's over a mile across and just as wide. The little black dots are those huge trucks
PICTURES/Bagdad Copper Mine/t_Man By Truck.JPG
I blew up one of the trucks from the previous shot. See that little dot at the back of the truck? That's a man.
PICTURES/Bagdad Copper Mine/t_Truck with full load.jpg
After the ore is scooped up by the shovels it's loaded into the huge trucks and taken here to be dumped in the crusher
PICTURES/Bagdad Copper Mine/t_Big Truck Dumping Ore.JPG
This truck is beginning to dump his ore in the crusher
PICTURES/Bagdad Copper Mine/t_Big truck passing by.jpg
Now he's empty and heading back for another load
PICTURES/Bagdad Copper Mine/t_Conveyor belt.jpg
This is the conveyer belt that takes the crushed ore up to the next area for more processing
PICTURES/Bagdad Copper Mine/t_Crushed Ore.JPG
This is the end of the conveyer belt and the crushed ore is dumped here. That cloud above makes it look apocalyptic doesn't it?
PICTURES/Bagdad Copper Mine/t_Front loader with tire chains.jpg
This is the biggest front loader made by Catapillar. Notice the exquisite pattern of the chains on the front tires
PICTURES/Bagdad Copper Mine/t_Leeche field.jpg
This is the leech field where that certain type of ore starts the process of being separated from the rock.
PICTURES/Bagdad Copper Mine/t_Sharon & Arlene in bucket.jpg
Bucket Babes! OK, so it's Arlene and I. This bucket is from one of the cranes and is due for refurbishment.
PICTURES/Bagdad Copper Mine/t_Sharon & bucket.jpg
I'm in this for scale
PICTURES/Bagdad Copper Mine/t_Treds.jpg
One of the treads from a crane that's going to be refurbished as well.
PICTURES/Bagdad Copper Mine/t_Rock duck 2.jpg
This is a duck. Actually, it's rocks painted like a duck. Residents in the area maintain it. There's also a frog and a skull someplace