The Haunted Bulldozer Why 23 Operators Quit in 8 Months Tombstone Arizona 1935

Описание: THE MYSTERY THAT HAUNTED TOMBSTONE: 23 operators walked away from the same bulldozer in just 8 months during the Great Depression when men would work ANY machine for a paycheck. What made experienced professionals choose unemployment over operating this Caterpillar RD6?

This is the true story of serial number 4R1147, a brand-new bulldozer that arrived in Tombstone, Arizona in March 1935 and became the most feared piece of equipment in the Southwest mining industry.

THE FACTS

Machine: Caterpillar RD6 (Serial #4R1147)
Engine: Three-cylinder D6600 diesel, 45 HP
Weight: 16,800 pounds
Location: Tombstone tailings field, Arizona
Period: March - December 1935
Total Resignations: 23 operators in 8 months
Project Delay: 14 weeks estimated → 9+ months actual
Historical Connection: 1883 death of James Wickham
Final Fate: Scrapped in 1952 after normal service

WHAT HAPPENED?

Experienced operators reported:
✓ Blade controls moving without input
✓ Extreme cold waves in 100°F+ heat
✓ Personal information manifested through machine vibrations
✓ Peripheral vision phenomena
✓ Controls mysteriously reversed overnight
✓ 1880s photograph appearing in operator seat

The site sat on the exact location where mining equipment operator James Wickham died in a gruesome industrial accident in November 1883 at the Grand Central Mine processing facility 52 years before the RD6 incidents.

WHY THIS STORY MATTERS

This isn't just a ghost story. It's a documented case of:
Labor cost overruns (3x original estimate)
Multiple mechanical diagnostics finding ZERO defects
Depression-era workers choosing unemployment over continuing
Corporate decision to replace a mechanically perfect machine
Consistent testimony from 23 independent professionals

Morrison-Knudsen, the contractor who built the Hoover Dam, couldn't keep operators on this single machine. Their senior mechanic a Caterpillar expert since the Best & Holt merger found the RD6 in showroom condition despite operator complaints.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

Tombstone produced 32 million troy oz of silver (1877-1886)
Grand Central Mine closed after 1886 fire destroyed pumps
1935 tailings reprocessing used modern cyanide extraction
The RD6 was Caterpillar's newest model (introduced Spring 1935)
Depression-era wages: union scale + 20% hazard bonus

Indigenous Tohono O'odham, Mexican mill workers, and Chinese laborers ALL reported paranormal phenomena at this exact location decades before the RD6 arrived.

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© 2025 Bulldozer Geek USA. This is a documentary presentation of historical events based on corporate records, newspaper archives, and death certificates. We respect all cultural beliefs regarding sacred sites and the unexplained.

All equipment specifications verified through Caterpillar historical archives and period documentation. Morrison Knudsen labor records cited from Arizona State Historical Society collections.

This content is protected under Fair Use for educational and historical documentation purposes.