The world's largest dragline, "Big Muskie" died a slow death at the hands of the scrapper's torch in 1998. The memory of AEP and Central Ohio Coal's historic and record breaking machine now lives on...in Lego. R.I.P Big Muskie, 1969-1998.
About this creation
Built in 1/198th scale...
The real machine had these stats:
Total weight 13,500 tons...More than 128 Boeing 727s!
Total height 160 feet...Higher than a six-story building!
Overall length 487 feet...One and half times longer than a football field!
Boom length 310 feet...More than two city blocks!
Bucket capacity 325 tons...Enough to fill more than 20 dump trucks!
Power 63,000 hp...Equivalent to the residential demand of
a city of 30,000 people!
Digging capacity 39 million pounds/hour...In 10 years of operation, Big Muskie moved more earth than 42,000 men took out of the 40-mile long Panama Canal in 10 years.
And now it's gone...
Except for one of it's buckets...it now resides at a roadside memorial in rural Ohio.
I worked on this machine at the South Milwaukee plant. I did assembly work, and had about three years of exposure to building components for this giant dragline. It is too bad that it was scrapped. I would have loved to see it preserved. There will never be another one of this size.
I currently am part of group of old timers who are preserving the history of Bucyrus Erie Company. We are the South Milwaukee Industrial Museum, LLC.
It is also too bad that you don't have a kit available for this fantastic lego model that you built. I would want to built one if I thought it was within my abilities. I don't have your skills, so I doubt that I could build one without a lot of guidance.
Thanks for making this model and for posting all information. Great job!
Quoting T Shaeffer
Very cool!! My dad was one of the operators. Nice job!! :)
Thanks!! I really enjoyed building this one. I'd love to learn more about your father operating the machine. Is there anyway we can get in touch? Email maybe?
Thanks for the compliments! Unfortunately, it's not a kit and I don't have plans.
The toughest part was the shape of the back end and the sides
For the feet. Someday when I have time, I'll try to upload some
"Exploded view" pics, if that'll help. Its about a thousand pieces
I'm guessing and I didn't make instructions along the way. I wish I would have, though! :)