A forest road project sparked the need for a Lokotrack® crusher

When crushing contractor Olavi Puputti faced a challenge that couldn’t be solved with a wheel-mounted plant, the need for a completely new solution emerged. The result was a track-mounted crusher that could move swiftly to the rocks.

Sari Mäkitalo, who played a key role in Telamurska Oy’s operations, recalls the early days of the technology. She witnessed the development of the first track-mounted unit as a high school student, later joined the company’s finance team, became CEO in 2007, and served on the board until the company was sold. 

“My father realized that in fast-paced forest road construction, the contractor’s work was most efficient when the rocks lifted by the excavator could be immediately fed into a crusher moving alongside. This way, crushed material was available on-site for road foundations,” Mäkitalo explains. 

“Olavi definitely had an inventor’s mindset. He was persistent and saw the idea through, even with risks involved. I remember the energy and excitement during the build of the first track-mounted machine—it was all about creating something new.” 

A prototype built from recycled parts

Olavi Puputti and his business partner Mauno Vuorsola assembled the first track-mounted crusher using recycled components: a used Svedala 75 jaw crusher, excavator tracks, a transmission, hydraulic parts, and a diesel engine. Other essential components were already familiar to Telamurska from their wheel-mounted units. Welding work progressed quickly, and the finished machine was surprisingly soon ready for testing.

The track-mounted crusher revolutionized contracting in the industry. While wheel-mounted plants crushed hundreds of thousands of tons at one location over several months, Lokotrack made it profitable to take on smaller jobs. This meant customers’ capital wasn’t tied up in large stockpiles for extended periods.

The first mobile crusher was delivered in 1985

With the jaw crusher, Telamurska could produce material down to gravel size. For finer aggregates used in road foundations and concrete production, a secondary crusher was needed. Olavi Puputti invited Lokomo engineers to his site in Ulvila to demonstrate the benefits of a new crusher concept. 

“My profession is crushing contracting, not machine building. Could Lokomo’s engineers design a track-mounted cone crusher that works with my jaw crusher?” he asked. 

After consideration, Lokomo agreed. In December 1985, the first mobile crusher of its kind—Lokotrack GT1810 was delivered to Telamurska. 

Product development and larger units 

Once the two-stage Lokotrack setup had proven itself in multiple projects, Telamurska requested higher-capacity units. At the end of 1985, the company agreed with Lokomo to purchase two new Lokotrack crushers.

Painted in Lokomo’s signature yellow, the Lokotrack CT100 jaw crusher and GT258 cone crusher were delivered to Pori in spring 1986. The collaboration between Lokomo and Metso’s product development remained close over the years. 

“Our message to the design engineers was always the same: the track-mounted crusher must remain simple and compact to ensure easy transport, operation, and maintenance,” Mäkitalo emphasizes. 

Telamurska Oy grew to become one of Finland’s largest crushing contractors, operating up to ten Lokotrack units in two- and three-stage setups. In 2023, the business was acquired by Kamrock Oy. 

Having followed nearly the entire 40-year journey of Lokotrack, Sari Mäkitalo believes the product brand has a strong future ahead. 

“Aggregates will continue to be needed, and so will crushers. Energy efficiency, low emissions, and safety will play an increasingly important role in product development,” she says. 

“In a country like Finland, with long distances, large stationary aggregate plants like those in Central Europe aren’t viable. For small pits and mobile crushing, Lokotrack remains the best solution—now and in the future.”