The Silver Spade

Bucket and cab of The Silver Spade at Harrison Coal and Reclamation Park on Stumptown Road

The Silver Spade was a giant power shovel used for strip mining in southeastern Ohio. Manufactured by Bucyrus-Erie, South Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the model 1950-B was one of two of this model built, the other being the GEM of Egypt. Its sole function was to remove the earth and rock overburden from the coal seam. Attempts to purchase and preserve the shovel from Consol for $2.6 million fell short, and the shovel was scrapped in February 2007.

Facts and figures

working in July, 1974

Dipper arm

The design is unusual, as it uses a Knee action crowd, and only these two Bucyrus-Erie 1950-B's were fitted with this technology. The technology was a requirement of the owners and had to be licensed from Marion Power Shovel, with Marion being allowed to use Bucyrus-Erie's cable crowd system in return.

See also

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Silver Spade.

External links

Coordinates: 40°11′24″N 81°03′15″W / 40.19000°N 81.05417°W / 40.19000; -81.05417

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