Steam Shovel by bmac62
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Description
...this ancient steam shovel was quite a find in the old equipment yard of the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine in Cripple Creek, Colorado. Steam shovels gave way to cheaper and easier to maintain diesel power shovels in the 1930s.
...the major components visible to me as I walked around this old shovel included boiler, water tank, winch, main engine, boom, dipper stick, crowd engine, wheels and bucket.
...machines like this were responsible for excavating for the early railroads in the UK and USA...for countless roads and the huge foundation holes required for the first skyscrapers...for mining...and any other job requiring large amounts of earth moving.
...found an interesting statistic. One man working all day with a shovel can move 9 cubic yards of dirt. A steam shovel with even a small bucket like this one, could move 300 cubic yards of dirt in the same time.
...After doing a bit of research, I believe the age of this old steamer to be at least 100 years. I never found a manufacturer's name plate, but the iron work on the boom, the old wooden cab and the lugged iron wheels all say 1890-1910.
...the Mollie Kathleen is no longer a working gold mine. It is an outdoor tourist attraction...may this old relic last at least another 100 years:)
Bill
"A Bright Spot"
Comments (30)
bazza
I wonder if some one will want to do this up and get it running again.. Very lovely capture!!
whaleman
Looks to be in pretty good shape!
fallen21
Fantastic shot.
jayfar
'They don't make em like that any more'!! A super and interesting find Bill.
awjay
i love rust
durleybeachbum
That is a big boytoy, for sure!
helanker
WOW! It looks fantastic with all the lovely rust :-D
T.Rex
A beautiful photo of an old relic (dinosaur?). You're so right about the transition to diesel. The same hit the railroads after WWII. The steam machines were more complex than diesel and required a long time to get up steam and burned a LOT of fuel to do the same job a diesel could do on less, and faster. Wonder what the EPA would say about THOSE emissions? Do you have a side view or other view showing the inner machinery? Would be very interesting to see the boiler and main engine. Keep up the good work! You keep on coming up with the most surprising photos! :-)
cfulton
My how the mighty have fallen... Needs some TLC, Clive
TallPockets
SUPER shot/narrative! .... Cripple Creek? ... THE BAND! .... SMILES.
thecytron
That's quite a blast from the past! Xcellent rust texture!
Faemike55
Very cool capture, Bill
MrsRatbag
When humans are gone our metal monsters will remain littering the landscape; wonder if any visitors might think they were the race that lived here? Strange thoughts...and a wonderful find and capture!
flavia49
wonderful shot
Meisiekind
Indeed a gorgeous old beast. Lovely capture Bill - very clear with perfect focus!
auntietk
Wow ... what a cool relic! It's astonishing to think that this is somewhere around 100 years old. Great capture!
jendellas
Fine capture of this old machine!!!
kenmo
Fine find Bill....Awesome capture....
jocko500
bet you was looking on the ground for gold. anyway this is a good pov of this old machine
Blush
What an antique Great image of this rustic steam shovel Hugs Susan~
bobrgallegos
A wonderful very interesting capture Bill!!!
angora
stunning POV!!! did you say goldmine? ;-D
X-PaX
Very nice capture. Thank you for the information.
neiwil
Now that is a thing of beauty! really, I remember one of these still working Birkenhead docks 20-25 yrs ago, yes a steam one! The pov here is perfect, and don't get me started on the colour/texture.It just looks like it belongs there and everything else has grown up around it...fave...
Chipka
It's amazing how machinery, especially rusting machinery has such appeal to it. Stuff like this always achieves such beauty without ever intending to be beautiful and I think that's the key to so much in life...intent often leads to making something contrived and somewhat tawdry, rather like a floozie in too much makeup and wearing the wrong kind of cheap perfume: you know, the kind that smells a bit like fermentation rather than something alluring? This goes in exactly the opposite direction and attains beauty and grace despite its initial function (to dig and get all dusty and dirty.) I like the elegance of this shot; there's just the right amount of everything in it. Really good stuff.
Richardphotos
I see I missed several things in Cripple Creek
RodS
Well now, THAT'S steampunk for sure! What a find, Bill! I'd almost sell my soul for that beautiful big gear on that shovel - if I could even pick the thing up! Great capture, my friend!
junge1
Great find and capture Bill and excellent research. No wonder they were so popular for construction.
moochagoo
Love that picture !
debbielove
Now thats a chunk of machinery! Impressive.. This museum? Is it in the process of being 'restored' or being left to go? It would be a shame there were none of these left at all.. Its happened so often in the UK.. Good one Bill, sorry late on commenting on this, playing catch up! lol Rob