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Gopeng Water Pipeline: Malaysian Heritage In The World Tin Industry's History
This picture shows the final days of the famous pipeline which brought so much wealth to the Kinta Valley by providing high pressure water to the tin mines to literally cut out the ore bearing material from the ground. As can be seen on the right of the picture the pipe has been cut as part of the process of removing the entire assembly which used to cross the Gopeng main road just before the town. The pipeline was cut up and sold for scrap as it no longer had any value to the mining companies and heritage value does not pay out millions of dollars for the shareholders. In all there were three of these structures, the first laid by Osborne & Chappel (O&C) for the Gopeng Tin Mining Company around 1893. This cost some $50,000 and brought water 6 1/2 miles from the Kampar River to the mines in 14 inch pipes.
There followed a second, much larger pipeline, seen in the picture partially cut up. The history of this second pipeline (below) was contributed by Law Siak Hong, President of the Perak Heritage Society:
"The pipeline was designed and built by Osborne & Chappel for Gopeng Consolidated Ltd. during the period of 1911-1915. It was manufactured by the Mephan-Ferguson Lock Bar Pipe Co., Ltd. in the United Kingdom and shipped to Penang, by rail to Kota Bharu, then by steam tractor and bullock wagons to Gopeng.
The pipeline was used for hydraulic tin-mining. It carried a flow of 6,000 cu. ft. per minute under a working pressure of 150 lb. per square inch. The water was used by monitors to cut the tin-bearing ground for subsequent recovery of tin ore.
The pipeline was 8.5 miles (13.6km) long and 45 inches (1348mm) in diameter. Hydraulic mining first started in the gold field of California in the 1850's. The pipeline was probably larger than any of its kind built anywhere in the world. It represents the tin mining industry of Malaysia that has since ceased to operate. An industry that made Malaysia famous and rich."
A third pipe was laid from Sungei (River) Geruntom in 1925.
The water from the pipes was shared between Gopeng Tin Mining Company, Gopeng Consolidated Mine and the French Tekka Mines.
We believe that here used to be an Orang Asli settlement at the beginning of the pipeline called Kampong Ulu Pipe.
To read more about Gopeng Consolidated Tin Mines, click here.
To read more about the background of the Orang Asli people, click here.