Big Brutus electric shovel - photos

[Altair]

Bucyrus-Erie 1850-B electric shovel nicknamed Big Brutus was the second largest shovel of its type in operation from 1963 until 1974.

Fullsize image: https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/h...1_fullsize.jpg





Previously:

Massive rope shovel bucket - photo
Bucket wheel excavator mining coal - GIF
Big Muskie dragline excavator bucket - photo
Transporting Big Muskie - photo
World's largest operational bulldozer - video

[Frank S]

baby I want to ride,ride,ride, some heavy metal

[owen moore]

I got to see this beast in operation in 1964 down in southeast Kansas. I was standing on the top rim of the pit and I remember when it started to dig, you could almost feel the ground shake. I aiso remember how quiet it was. It is currently on display in West Mineral, Kansas.

[Toolmaker51]

owen moore says this was surprisingly quiet. Well, of course it was, what with exhaust being about 100' off ground level.

OK. This is substantially larger than a D10 Caterpillar (or Frank S's forklift); but if this

is true for the Cat, imagine operating Big Brutus.

[owen moore]

It was actually an electric shovel. Where I was standing, I was at about the same elevation as the top of the house. You could hear the squeaking of the sheaves and cables when the bucket was raised and lowered. It was quite a sight.

[Toolmaker51]

Electric yes, like a locomotive, I believe. Diesel driven generator powers the motors.

[Frank S]

owen moore says this was surprisingly quiet. Well, of course it was, what with exhaust being about 100' off ground level.

OK. This is substantially larger than a D10 Caterpillar (or Frank S's forklift); but if this

is true for the Cat, imagine operating Big Brutus.

I now have a matched pair of John Deere 755 Track loaders, well not exactly matched 1 had a 1/3 yard smaller bucket than the other but I can fix that 1 is running and 1 is not but I can fix that. I'm hoping I can entice My jane into learning to drive one then she and I can have loader wars over a few mesquite trees

[olmike]

I've been there. There's an electric cord as big as my leg that runs it. No onboard generators.

[Toolmaker51]

Oh. A serious extension cord.
That possibility hadn't occurred to me.

Probably why locomotives need diesel power, onboard.