A snorkel-equipped bulldozer designed for shallow coastal and river work has been cranked into life again after sitting idle for 20 years.
A snorkel-equipped bulldozer designed for shallow coastal and river work has been cranked into life again after sitting idle for 20 years.
The amphibious bulldozer is one of only five worldwide. Manufacturer Komatsu Ltd. discontinued production in 1993 amid sluggish interest.
But Japan's 2011 quake and tsunami resulted in demand for a wide range of reconstruction work, and Tokyo-based Asunaro Aoki Construction Co. pulled a bulldozer it had out of retirement.
The machine was in no condition for use, so the company asked Komatsu to carry out an overhaul.
Komatsu stripped the machine down at a plant in Osaka and carried out a full refurbishment at cost.
In January, the bulldozer returned to work on projects along Japan's ravaged northeastern rivers and coast.
Komatsu officials said they restored the machine in record time, taking only a year to make it like new.