Reviving the Titan: The story of America's colossal dump truck

When we talk about the largest dump trucks in the world, many people first think of products from companies like Caterpillar or the Belarusian BelAZ. However, one should not forget about the American company Terex, which created the unique Titan 33-19. This single specimen never went into mass production, but that didn't stop it from holding a Guinness World Record for many years.

We were reminded of the extraordinary machine's story thanks to an article about the history of the Terex brand, which appeared some time ago on the website 40ton.net. The Titan 33-19 was one of the most interesting projects of the American manufacturer. The parameters of the tri-axial vehicle are impressive even today. Its length is about 20 metres, width is 7.8 metres, and its height is 6.9 metres, which speaks volumes.

Fully prepared for driving, the vehicle weighed about 260 tonnes, and its haulage capacity was as much as 351 tonnes. Despite its large mass and size, it was characterized by good maneuverability, thanks to its steering axles. The front wheels could turn up to 71 degrees. Such a colossus, of course, needed an appropriate power.

The manufacturer applied a powerful, 169-litre V16 Diesel engine from GM Electro-Motive Division. This 3300-HP unit was a generator for four electric motors mounted on the wheels. The amount of energy it could produce could power over 3000 homes. As one might guess, The Titan 33-19 was quite fuel-consuming — on average 1.13 litres per kilometre, which converts to about 19 litres per mile. That is probably why the fuel tank could hold up to about 3230 liters of diesel fuel.

The premiere of the prototype in 1973 was supposed to be just the beginning of mass production, with a price tag of $1.5 million per unit. Considering inflation, today, that would amount to a sum four times larger. Ultimately, however, it ended with one pre-production specimen, which became part of the fleet of the mining company Kaiser Steel and served there until the early 1990s.

After being worn out, the machine was restored, and the engine was removed. Since then, it has been a tourist attraction in Sparwood, British Columbia, Canada. And not just any attraction. After all, it is one of the largest vehicles in history, which held the Guinness World Record for the highest payload until 1998. Later, however, the Caterpillar 797 and BelAZ 75710 appeared.