South of BAY MO on county Rd F are two old forward dig Bucyrus excavators/shovels. Actually in pretty complete, pretty decent shape. I have tried to get hold of the carpenter that framed the house here, he is a lifer at Bay and should know who if anyone owns them and any stories about them. Would be awesome if the old beasts still operated. Will grab some photos next pass by.
Hmmm I am lusting after a Bucyrus 10B... so I could go hang out with these guy's.
They are such cool old beasts I would love one. But, I don’t have the skills to fix or maintain one. Graham
I would love to get a chance to play with any of these three. Never got to try a mechanical (manual) Crane/Dragline/Shovel.
You would get the hang of it fast RZ ..... It's about like grabbing gears in a 69 Chevelle all day long .
My Chevelle was a '68...
Here in NY there is a pretty awesome steam engine /antique tractor show. At the show they have a section set up for the old cable shovels and dozers to mess around and play. I watched the guys running the controls in the cable shovels and was amazed at how busy they were grabbing handles and pulling levers. It was fun to watch. Below is a link about the show. They used all the antique equipment to build the gravel road on the right side. https://nysteamengineassociation.com
Me neither. I did get to run a P&H 4100 a little, however that is much more like a locomotive with a really bad attitude than a small old school shovel. I am watching for one... someday you will find me on the back of the property trying to figure it out by myself in secret LOL!
Thanks for that I will check it out!
Well I found out the owner, the call has been made and message left. The guy is the County Surveyor according to a neighbor, same fella that surveyed my place three times so far for initial then refinances. Both supposedly run and operate, will get pics next.
Cool! Looking forward to seeing them!
Well I was incorrect AGAIN. NOT Bookeerus, Northwest Engineering! These are from a time Men were Men and Sheeps was scared!! I do not think women cared then! Ladies and gents:
His Dad owned them from New, had them for laying sewers in N. St. Louis County small towns. Has a crane attachment to fit either of them. I have not seen the need for four arms/hands and three legs/feet until now. OSHA would NOT like these, the frictions are the seat backrest.
Oh and these ran just nine years ago. 4L71 GM Diesels(Detroit's).
They look like all you need to do is put a jump pack on and they would be up and running. Buy them both now before you regret it and someone cuts them up for scrap. Graham
What model are those machines? Maybe a Model 6??
Mr Millar, the three machines in the first pic are all "Face Shovels" the two "Northwest's" are "back-actors" or trenchers. Those machines are not hard to drive when the clutch's and brakes are adjusted correctly. They all have relay clutches that do the hard work for you. There is a bit of "hand-foot" co-ordination involved. They can be harder to operate slowly rather than fast. You do have to remember that everything comes down in free-fall. My own personal preference was operating grab cranes and draglines, I like to think I was pretty good at it too,
That one photo looks like a 3-71 to me. I alway thought they put the frictions close to you to keep you warm in the winter. Nothing like the smell of asbestus dust in the morning.
Wish I could, he is asking Five figure pricing, did not say WHAT five figures and I did not press. Were working the day his Dad moved them to where they sit then he had a fight when his Dad died with the sibs as to who gets what at what cost. The current owner got a Traxcavator, a 12A 955 and these two gems with attorney fees at $150K. Now that he has gotten older is time for these to go down the road. The Traxcavator engine is locked up, he is working to remedy that, the 955 he still uses on his cattle farm. And I do not doubt fresh batteries, fresh fuel and a lube job and these old Goliaths would be running and working. Scrappers have stopped by many times, he runs them off. All the photos are the same units, just a pair and both definite 3L71's, you are correct I fat fingered the 4. Are model 25D according to the owner.
Great find and a good tale to boot. I wish my backyard was that cool! With retirement looming out there just over the hill not to far they would be the perfect twins. Looking at the just the condition of the brake pedal "grousers" it does not look like they had a lot of use. I have seen brake pedals with holes wore in them by boot leather. What kinda 5 figures? Rational 5 figures or the other kind?
He said was working on his price but in the current condition was not going to be pretty nor low.
Too bad... they will probably get left by people that would save them as the history of our craft
Ok, 25D sounds about right on the model. That would have been my other guess.
Got a reply from the owner, mid teens on each with a couple grand more for the crane attachment with one of them.
Hmmmm that may not be all that bad.
IF the engines still rotate(Shields on radiators for fans)and I get the covers off to verify the racks are not locked, these may be well worth more but he is willing to deal. He as I hate to leave machines sit, knows is harder on them than working every day.
They are Detroits... I always thought if you buried one in the backyard for 5 or ten years it would probably fire and run! LOL! (I am being facetious) I am a little curious, I thought NW used Murphys.
Honestly I have never seen a Detroit that was locked up from sitting unless water was leaked into the cylinders. Stuck injectors, valves, and rings on the other hand... I picked up an 8V-71 once for free and connected batteries and fuel to see if it would run, It sounded like a turbine when I hit the button, I think it took a couple of seconds to spin down after I let off the button. In the end I had 2 good heads and a good short block. If the racks are stuck plenty of WD-40 on the plungers and tapping the plungers with a hammer and a nylon punch will usually free them up.
Helped pull three old Detroits out of Alton Pool on the MS River, been down that road. We did not even overhaul them, pulled all the covers, washed with water to move the mud then back washed with diesel then engine oil. Those engines never had a head off and were back to work in a week, did not miss a beat for seven years when they sold them off the barge.
Old exhaust stacks point up and straight back 90 degrees, do have mufflers on the engines and no rust trails to be seen HOWEVER drain holes could have filled up, could have gotten wet, will soon find out.
Good Luck with that! I hope they are pristine as they can be given the situation
On the B+E front, woke up from my commuter haze long enough to almost go whizzing out into the brush after seeing this lovely unit and friends !
...and a few more. I saw these Weds but had to get permission to enter the property for today.
Just so sad to see graceful old machines die the slow death.
I have to agree. If you don’t want them, rather than let them rust away give them to someone who will restore them to their forma glory. It seems such a waste to let them rust into oblivion. Graham
It sure is... The owner of this one passed some time ago. He was much loved and loved old gear and trucks like the rest of us. It has been sitting in that spot for many years as she is sinking vertically into the ground. I am trying to contact it's care provider. I am hopeful that something can be worked out. However it may be such a heirloom piece to this man's heirs it may be just too painful to see it leave. In which case she will be where she is.
Made contact with the shovel's owners and it is as I surmised they are going to keep her... and the hunt continues.
So often those old machines are called "leverites" leave her right where she is./
This is the case. The gentleman that owned seemed to leave a little early. They are greatly attached to the machine as a daily reminder of him.
Nothing quite like 25 tons of yard art.
They are easy running machines, two hands and two feet work fine. The feather touch controls are easy and smooth.
I know from exp. that you can totaly ruin a perfectly good dump truck with one of those
Bummer!
Sorry about the side board damage ……. Next truck …… Come on , back in it will be ok .