My grandfather retired from Central Ohio coal company. He was one of the lead mechanics on the Big Muskie. This truely was an engineering marvel and should never have been scrapped. Many times he told me he had to go out on the end of the boom to troubleshoot problems while it was operating. It was better than any theme park ride you can bet on that. He said the lead operator could flip your hard hat off of your head with the middle tooth if you were man enough to let him.
Sometimes the profit motive must be overruled by higher powers. The capital and labor involved to design and build Big Muskie cannot be recovered and THAT cost far exceeds the scrap value. The idiotic law that required all mining equipment to be removed should've been amended to preserve Big Muskie in place as a museum.
My grandfather worked on the erection of the Big Muskie; West Kentucky steel! R.I.P Roger Monroe. My dad Barry Monroe worked with Molub-alloy lubriacation and he monitored temperatures and serviced the lube systems the last few years the Muskie walked. My dad would like to add "I remember seeing the tanker truck sitting at the ready, full of hydraulic fluid oil because she was gonna bust a line on one of the cylinders on the walking system at any given day-----> (continued)
Thank you for posting this tribute. All of us who understand the thought, work and problem-solving which went into the Big Muskie appreciate your efforts. The bucket is on display, but out-doors, where it slowly rusts away. Hopefully, someday, it will be better protected.
Great bunch of stills. Better than some of the videos. Thank you. The size and configuration of its fairlead was most impressive, along with the rest of the machine. I never saw it in real life, but discovered it here on youtube, I guess, 10 years ago. The video of the A-frame being blown off of it and that magnificent double boom falling and being destroyed is very sad to me. I guess I am odd, or silly, but I can't help it.
Seems 99% of people here are sad about the demise of these once great and unique machines. More's the pity that we are not far-sited enough to realise the valuable contribution and the legacy that Big Muskie & The Captian left. We shall never see their like again!
I remember when big muskie got scrapped and I think it was not necessary for the environmentalist to interfere with any mining operation. When environmentalist interfere it could mean "trespass" on a piece of equipment without authorization. If I was head boss and if any environmentalist tried to stop me from mining coal they would be "jailed" for trespassing.
Ouch! I hope that something to protect that unique bucket would be installed, and eventually, that a building just like the Big Muskie's body would be fabricated next to it, or over it, with museum exhibits and explanatory displays for visitors to learn about it.
---->(continued) (Muskie bled hyd-oil like nobodys business)". "Does anybody remember a mean SOB named Dave Donahue? Because I'm looking for him! haha".
great vid! fantastic machine ! would love to see the bucket ! they should bo this with big geordie! kibs of today will never see beasts like these again! what a loss
Sometimes the profit motive must be overruled by higher powers. The capital and labor involved to design and build Big Muskie cannot be recovered and THAT cost far exceeds the scrap value. The idiotic law that required all mining equipment to be removed should've been amended to preserve Big Muskie in place as a museum.
My grandfather retired from Central Ohio coal company. He was one of the lead mechanics on the Big Muskie. This truely was an engineering marvel and should never have been scrapped. Many times he told me he had to go out on the end of the boom to troubleshoot problems while it was operating. It was better than any theme park ride you can bet on that. He said the lead operator could flip your hard hat off of your head with the middle tooth if you were man enough to let him.
Sometimes the profit motive must be overruled by higher powers. The capital and labor involved to design and build Big Muskie cannot be recovered and THAT cost far exceeds the scrap value.
The idiotic law that required all mining equipment to be removed should've been amended to preserve Big Muskie in place as a museum.
My grandfather worked on the erection of the Big Muskie; West Kentucky steel!
R.I.P Roger Monroe. My dad Barry Monroe worked with Molub-alloy lubriacation and he monitored temperatures and serviced the lube systems the last few years the Muskie walked. My dad would like to add "I remember seeing the tanker truck sitting at the ready, full of hydraulic fluid oil because she was gonna bust a line on one of the cylinders on the walking system at any given day-----> (continued)
The proplem is... U.S.A as lost its way! period... sad we lost a great machine..
Thank you for posting this tribute. All of us who understand the thought, work and problem-solving which went into the Big Muskie appreciate your efforts. The bucket is on display, but out-doors, where it slowly rusts away. Hopefully, someday, it will be better protected.
13,000 ton of steel and copper..
Should have been put on display. It would have been worth more as a tourist attraction then scrap steel. What a shame!! Great video Thanks!!
Great bunch of stills. Better than some of the videos. Thank you. The size and configuration of its fairlead was most impressive, along with the rest of the machine. I never saw it in real life, but discovered it here on youtube, I guess, 10 years ago. The video of the A-frame being blown off of it and that magnificent double boom falling and being destroyed is very sad to me. I guess I am odd, or silly, but I can't help it.
Seems 99% of people here are sad about the demise of these once great and unique machines. More's the pity that we are not far-sited enough to realise the valuable contribution and the legacy that Big Muskie & The Captian left. We shall never see their like again!
They should preserve things like this, and scrap big ships that nobody cares about instead. These massive machines are part of the world's history.
I remember when big muskie got scrapped and I think it was not necessary for the environmentalist to interfere with any mining operation. When environmentalist interfere it could mean "trespass" on a piece of equipment without authorization. If I was head boss and if any environmentalist tried to stop me from mining coal they would be "jailed" for trespassing.
what a class lot of pictures brilliant mate thanks
Ouch! I hope that something to protect that unique bucket would be installed, and eventually, that a building just like the Big Muskie's body would be fabricated next to it, or over it, with museum exhibits and explanatory displays for visitors to learn about it.
The Big Muskie appears to have four shoes on it to help it walk compared to two on other dragline excavators.
its a shame to scrap a machine like that there'l never be a machine like that needed again what ever it cost it should have been preserved
I use this to weed my garden.
---->(continued)
(Muskie bled hyd-oil like nobodys business)". "Does anybody remember a mean SOB named Dave Donahue? Because I'm looking for him! haha".
The spreader bar off the Big Muskie is setting on a flatbed trailer in NY at Mr Winters place not to far from Buffalo. Really Sad that it's gone.
great vid! fantastic machine ! would love to see the bucket ! they should bo this with big geordie! kibs of today will never see beasts like these again! what a loss
@sinclairopaline gee R Ragon was trying too run usa then R.i.p I.H,WABCO,A.C,CLARK,Terex.Euclid.and all the rest.
Blake Malkamaki took the picture at 4:28 during February 1999
@charliepc56 Yeah but that company would have gotten more money to sell it for scrap then to give it to a park
Sometimes the profit motive must be overruled by higher powers. The capital and labor involved to design and build Big Muskie cannot be recovered and THAT cost far exceeds the scrap value.
The idiotic law that required all mining equipment to be removed should've been amended to preserve Big Muskie in place as a museum.
there is no machine left on the planet who can use that shovel :(
yes why scrap it and not save ,scraps not worth that much
Yeah it Dug the last bucket of coal on my 3rd birthday
beverly power plant is on the muskingum river not the ohio
iv stood in its bucket its amazing how big it is
And I thought a Bucyrus Erie 1370 was big.
chuck norris distroyed him !