The machine in New Zealand was one of the largest ever built, eventually dismantled and shipped back to its manufacturer. Alice's cutter head, equipped with powerful discs, would bore through the rock.
Soil Removal:
As it dug, a screw conveyor would move the loosened soil to a chamber, and then it was transported away on conveyor belts through the tunnel.
Tunnel Lining:
Alice also installed concrete segments to line the tunnel as it went, creating a durable structure. Alice was named after Alice Evelyn Wilson, a pioneering Canadian geologist and paleontologist, in honor of her fundamental work in the St. Lawrence Lowlands and Ottawa Valley. The name also provided a helpful allusion to the story of Alice in Wonderland for explaining the machine to children.