The time had come to depart Little Rock and head west to track down some rough and rowdy cowboys in Dodge City Kansas. And when we're faced with a couple days of driving, what do we do? Search for interesting things along the route of course.
One such find was Big Brutus (model Bucyrus Erie Model 1850-B), in West Mineral, KS. It is the biggest surviving electric shovel, from a time when landscapes were ripped wide open to get the minerals underneath. This monstrosity was used through the 60's and 70's, to dig down up to about 70' deep. Once the covering layer of earth was removed, smaller equipment could then mine the coal underneath.
Where's Waldo (Dave)?
I knew it was supposed to be large, but really was not prepared for how truly magnificent this feat of engineering really is. Due to a few issues driving during the day we didn't manage to arrive until after closing time. Because of a birthday party that was held on site there were still people around and luckily we were able to get permission to walk the grounds. Once we moved around the museum there were gasps and sounds of surprise as we walked towards this beast.
Unfortunately we couldn't walk around the inside of it, but we will make a point to stop again here on some future trip through the area, just so we can. Anyone who loves machinery to those searching for items like the biggest ball of twine, will be impressed. It is also a beautiful RV park with a large green grass yard nestled along a river. Kansas, you have suitably impressed.
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