A couple of years ago, a dam breach emptied the artificial reservoir called Wixom Lake, in my home state of Michigan, revealing a very rare Thew Type "O" steam shovel, made in 1901, that had been at the bottom of the lake since the dam was finished (using the steam shovel, of course) in 1925. The Thew has been removed from the mud and is in the process of being restored.

While stationed at RAF Chicksands with the USAF from 68 - 72 I remember going to the pits and going swimming there. I saw the Shovel while it was under water and along with a few friends we swam out to it and dove around it to examine what we could. The water was clear for the most part an it was interesting to see old equipment. We went to a couple of Pubs there and were talking about how much effort it would be to raise and restore the old girl. I do not remember the gentlemen we talked with but some of them had actually worked in the pits and on the shovel before it was abandoned. I am glad to see that she was recovered and restored to a working condition. History should be preserved for future generation to show how things worked and give the youth of ever nation something to be proud of and their heritage.

As a young child on, the west side of the pond, a favorite children's book was "Mike Mulligan and his "steam shovel"". Mike's shovel had dug a hole for a large building and were unable to get out. The shovel was retired and Mike and boiler became the heating system for the building. Great job.

@mrbyamile6973

5 жыл бұрын

Yes I remember that book as a child, also the children's book "Are You My Mother" had a steam shovel that was my favorite part of the book even as a small child.

@louisaloi9178

5 жыл бұрын

Having a next door neighbor owning a heavy construction company in my childhood got to see and ride in big equipment.Remember that storybook as one of my favorites,even had a toy steam shovel like the ones in video on steel wheels just like a Bucyrus Erie manufactured in Ohio.

@s.marcus3669

5 жыл бұрын

Me too, Jeb. One of my favorite books of my childhood!

@ablemagawitch

5 жыл бұрын

@@louisaloi9178 Tonka made a Shovel in the construction vehicles lines. Sadly Tonka doesn't make them today despite the toys commanding collector prices. The large big bulldozer with the rubber tracks was equal to the dump truck for size/scale they still make. Kids could sit on top and drive/ride/operate them. Good times playing with dirt(sandboxes were for babies), sadly a bygone era.......

@johncevora242

5 жыл бұрын

Jeb Sails still have that book

Abandoned in place, it cost more to disassemble and remove than it was worth at the time. Amazing that the boiler looks safe for a pressure test. Where I live corrosion and rust would have destroyed it in 10 years or less. Wonderful workmanship throughout. Real craftsmen built this behemoth, and real craftsmen rebuilt it. The young men test driving it could easily be the grand, or even great grandchildren of the original builders. Such a great documentary. Thank You for your efforts.

The steam shovel has been fully restored (again) since this film and its now in fully operating condition, with a roof, as of 2017.

@leslierhodes5467

5 жыл бұрын

MrWolfSnack Is there a modern link to modern pictures of the steam shovel

@1kleineMax1

5 жыл бұрын

@@leslierhodes5467 Here you go: kzread.info/dash/bejne/iWGN1dqnpri2crw.html

@nw8000

5 жыл бұрын

Where is this beast now???

@ablemagawitch

5 жыл бұрын

in 1979 would they have thought in 2019 we still be talking about and enjoying this piece of beauty. let alone the chap who in 1909 built this thing over 110 years ago. They were just pushing out the project, not expecting to be a piece of history. From the build date, to the restore date each one has had young apprentices cycle through to older journeymen craftsmen. Each one teaching the the ones that would eventually being teaching the ones who actually work on restoring this and now to day maintaining it. Breaking 110 years, a century plus decade or as CX in the roman numerals..... The change and horrors this machine has been through and had occur in the world surrounding in its life is staggering, from being advance technology to a view of antiquity machinery heading onward to ancient history..... May the boiler hold up for another several centuries plus. 1/2 a millenia (500 years)overall sound good? I'm sure the service record much mention if we can the factory paper work that came with it....

@ablemagawitch

5 жыл бұрын

We need an 110 year video of it in 2019 For a historic view a 2017 still in operations display/use video kzread.info/dash/bejne/opV6w6Nrh66pd7w.html with some more information and comments worth checking out on a 2016 video of her at kzread.info/dash/bejne/iWGN1dqnpri2crw.html

A true grandchild of the Industrial Revolution! Well done!

in my mom's hometown, there is a 90' deep limestone quarry that filled up overnight before WW2, when the pumps died on a weekend. there are steam shovels, dump trucks, and a steam train at the bottom.

@TarmanTheChampion

4 жыл бұрын

What town?!

@theenginemanfromthepast.

Жыл бұрын

@@TarmanTheChampion If true what a project! Which I am interested in doing. I have the means to make this happen if anyone wants to contact me?

@johnnymichaelangelo9264

Жыл бұрын

Its not independence ohio is it lol

@handyhippie6548

Жыл бұрын

@@johnnymichaelangelo9264 huntington, indiana. a lot of the indiana limestone you see in building facades from the prewar era came from that quarry.

@DominickCascianoIII

3 ай бұрын

​@@theenginemanfromthepast.I'd be your apprentice

I'm glad this beauty was saved from the Blue Lagoon. Though I live in America, I have always been in love with steam powered shovels, as well as electric and diesel shovels, and railroads and anything railroad related. I have great news that she is operational, as stated in the comments earlier. Once covid restrictions end and the war in Ukraine ends, I would love to go see her in person and watch her operate.

I fell in love with these beauties when I was a child; after reading 'Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel'.

I loved Steam Shovels when I was a kid. We all loved big machinery doing big jobs. This video is a treat!

God bless George Albin. The smile on his face was worth the watch.

@clivealbon4602

3 жыл бұрын

Albon

Just came across this excellent old documentary. What a good commentary! Concise, informative and colloquial; just what it needed to be.

I am an old machinery freak, was a mechanic, this is a superb video thanks, but much of this old machinery, classic or vintage, is the machines that I enjoyed working on in my working life. My friend worked a steam crane unloading coastal container ships, he was one of the lucky ones.

I've just got in after a busy day, made a Brew, sat down, feet up and watching this. Can it get any better? Yes! Brian Glover narrating and I've just seen a Chopper and Flared pants .....Fantastic!!!

its interesting to note that the apprentices are probably now either retired or near retirement age....this video appears to be shot in the 70's....nice video...

@ddk3809

9 жыл бұрын

Welds can be repaired waiting for more money to arrive

@crazyfvck

9 жыл бұрын

tooez90 He mentions at one point that it was built in 1909, and that it was brought back to the same place for restoration 70 years later. So it was filmed in 1979 then (he also mentioned Star Wars, so you know it had to be after 1977.)

@crazyfvck

9 жыл бұрын

...

@kabali1788

7 жыл бұрын

??

@tweekfreak8235

6 жыл бұрын

1977 by Ruston expert Ray Hooley By 1980 the 306 Steam Digger was steaming again. Hooley gave the machine to the VET in 2008 and it was moved to Threlkeld Quarry and Mining Museum

for a person interested in steam engines it was great seeing it first being recovered and then restored to working order i think they made her old driver's day its great to know that this old girl is now fully restored with a roof

Hats off to all who restored old digger 10 plus I restored a 1910 Buffalo steam roller so I know what you great people did enjoy your fruits of labor

This video truly made my day.. Thank you fro uploading it!! So good to see old machinery restored, especially since the last operator was still alive to see if brought back to life :)

@colinjohnston8519

6 жыл бұрын

crazyfvck for 10 minutes until it fell apart..

@Ben31337l

6 жыл бұрын

Didn't they get dimensions of the components? Draw up plans and such?

@davidcrabb1515

6 жыл бұрын

David of the deep. As a diver of those far off days it was good to be reminded of the primitive equipment we used.

This is quite fantastic. A tremendous effort. Perhaps call it Bill after the steam shovel in the old children's TV program Mr Squiggle shown here in Australia. I used watch Mr Squiggle as a child over 50 years ago! Have never seen a real steam shovel!

The reuniting of a man with his machine is priceless.

Thank You for the update , very glad to know they were able to restore the old machine !

It's beyond me how anyone could dislike this, what could be wrong with their minds?

@ablemagawitch

5 жыл бұрын

Wrong button stray thumb on small screen? Then comes the idiot factor which we have 100 of people that fit into that categories as of December 8 2018 with 465,790 views and over 2.5K+ of likes/Thumbs Up what it was orginal called right. FB has reprogrammed our speech sadly.

@ablemagawitch

5 жыл бұрын

Damn this jumped a lot in just 3 weeks after my comment on January 1st 2019 there are 516,792 views 2.9K likes and 20 more idiots that want clickbait short videos that spoon feed rehashed clips for 1290 thumbs down. 51,005 views or 17,001+ per week. I wonder what suddenly drove traffic here and why youtube started featuring/suggesting it as new content to check out....... In maybe 6 months or so someone will list the views and do the math because the analytics on this video must be cool to see..

@marthavaughan4660

5 жыл бұрын

@@PatrickBaptist I listened very carefully to the presentation and nowhere did the narrator make that alleged statement. He did say that the salvors would not allow non- divers under water? I suppose if one tries hard enough, they will hear what they want-- like politics today.

@marthavaughan4660

5 жыл бұрын

@Demo Easy there big fella-- no one's trying to get in a pissing contest here. In fact, I didn't particularly enjoy or "like" the presentation that much. There are many more impressive projects involving restoration than this. It was only a proud legacy to the driver that last handled the machine .See comment below.

@hatespeach9835

4 жыл бұрын

@@PatrickBaptist you been drinking soy or daddies milk

The Presenter was Dick Joice the Executive Producer a real gentleman and a delight to work for as were so many of the Anglia Television staff to work with. The problem of welding old cast of the dimensions involved in that restoration, is being able to control the heating and cooling of the castings, to eliminate stresses that will cause further cracks to appear or separation of the new weld from the parent metal. Bygones was a series of progammes that was huge fun to work upon. At that period they were mostly shot on 16mm and then with the addition of studio inserts transferred to Video Tape which at that period was 2 inch Ampex machines and only just out of physical editing by tape splicing to electronic editing. Wonderful days and some of the old technical crew still survive.

I just love these old bygone vintage videos (see some from the days of the London, Midland and Scottish railway). As far as I am concerned, the choice of the late, great Brian Glover (actor and professional all-in wrestler) was a brilliant move... what a lovely Yorkshire (Barnsley) accent he had, very similar to Sir Michael Parkinson.

This is an absolutely awesome documentary, everything about it is just a joy to watch. It’s great to watch people working together and accomplishing a goal without focusing on any drama etc. that dominates modern programming. Also almost anything that has to do with steam I’m interested in. 12:08 Now that’s a smoking pipe!

That Raleigh chopper bicycle at 9:16 is a real collectors item now!

History brought to life. Fascinating. Old vid, shot before the days of KZread obviously, but perfectly suited. Well-paced, and well-narrated. IH, thank you for working to preserve the memory of working for a living back when men were men, a hard day's work meant you had something called integrity, and SJW's were non-existent. Well done!!

amazing Its really great to see old machines being brought back and restored god bless

Truely amazing, I thoroughly enjoyed watching this, what an achievement.

This is an Incredible video this man got to operate the shovel again I love history like this it's really uplifting

An exceptional documentary on a piece of history. I loved it, the narration was great.

Loved every minute of it,our past coming to our future. Awesome to see something older than myself brought back to life. Just to kool.

makes me wish I could have been there to be part of the team that's restoring this wonderful machine

In addition to being an amazing story, I love the first minute and 20 seconds or so of the video. The music- the images- the title card... it kind of reminds me of the beginning of a '60's B horror movie. I love it. ❤

Joe We knew this place as " Arelsey Pits " when we used to go fishing there when I was very young , its only a few miles from Letchworth, I live in Australia now, but still remember " The blue lagoon " well, favourite place for dumping stolen cars.

The new crane "straight out of Star Wars" just pulls up to the bank and lifts out what used to be a huge crane back in the day. lol

Incredible video! Love seeing history brought back to life!

Wonderful old film and superb restoration, so well done guys!

Fantastic video. This restoration would be in the 10's of millions to accomplish today!

@Aaron-uf3sl

5 ай бұрын

No it wouldn’t

13:00. “No damage was done to any of the men, or MORE IMPORTANTLY the old Navvy”. Sure, lots of extra men around, but only one navvy, LOL

Ol' Fred Dibnah would be smiling up in heaven....

Brilliant Footage and Project, Thanks Guys, Dam good job

What a great show. I love the narrator's style; he sounds genuinely involved and excited. And I was really gonna be mad if they didn't give the shovel's last driver a little 'stick time.' But why 'navvy?" (sp?)

@jontisdall6248

4 жыл бұрын

Navvy is/was a slang term for a manual labourer typically employed to dig excavations using pick and shovel etc. Such things as roads, tunnel, canals, railway cuttings and building foundations would all have been dug by navvys back in the days before the myriad of mechanical diggers were even thought of. One train of thought is that it is a shortening of the term 'navigational engineer' but I'm not sure that such could be applied to what is generally regarded as a navvy. Hope this is of help.

What a great video, of a small bit of history. Dad talked about working around equipment like this as a kid logging in SE Alaska.

I could watch films like this all day long and more.

@industrialheritage2158

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Joseph, it made the effort worthwhile, more at thiswascumbria.uk/ ps I found the last DVD in the UK after chasing a lead from Anglia and they kindly gave me not for profit permission to put it on KZread so thanks Anglia TV. Peter

I realy enjoy seeing those old divingsuits in action (as well as the salvaging).

what a machine and agrate piece of history,thanks for the video

Great film,nice to see the crownclark telescopic crane first time I've seen a 65ton model .this was very advanced for its day,they later changed their name to cosmos cranes in the late 1970s.

Great outcome!

THANK YOU FOR DETAIL VIDEO AS GREAT WATCHING MADE LONG AND SEE COME BACK WORK LIFE ALL TIME WAS IN WATER

I got here from an article in "Classic Plant" magazine. The old girl is up and working for exhibitions in 2015

@emdman1959

8 жыл бұрын

+504mitchm Do you know if there are anymore videos of this grand piece of machinery ?

@ablemagawitch

5 жыл бұрын

@@emdman1959 Read comments above there are 2016 and 2017 videos and as you to day there will be videos upload everyday she is running in font of people. Just finding them all is the hard part.

Truly awesome, thanks so much!

Back in the '70s, due to bosses repeatedly wanting me to machine cast iron that they had welded, I knew that you cannot weld cast Iron with steel electrodes and expect any strength. Unless they are special cast iron electrodes and the piece is pre-heated and even that is questionable. Neat video and project though, thanks for posting it.

@jpsholland

7 жыл бұрын

I dont believe you rustybycycle, i would be highly unsafe with a 5" crack in the main frame with could be clearly seen on this old (Umatic?) footage.

@jpsholland

7 жыл бұрын

***** There is a BIG difference between working as designed or simply moving.

@jpsholland

7 жыл бұрын

***** first vid, then believe, Anyway it not THIS shovel. This one is fubar after all.

@jpsholland

7 жыл бұрын

***** show me

@randymagnum143

6 жыл бұрын

Stainless rod. Welded many castings. Best I ever did was iron track pads, preheated in furnace, laid air arc rod in pin holes, and welded around it with stainless wire. High stress area, and still working.

great narrator

Bell bottom blue jeans worn by the salvage team. that dates it!

@jpsholland

7 жыл бұрын

approx 1975 i guess.

@PhilJonesIII

7 жыл бұрын

That 'modern' crane 'looking like something out of Star Wars' puts it at 1977. By 1980 the flairs or bell-bottoms had all gone.

@MrKmoconne

7 жыл бұрын

Philip Jones Girls looked great in bell bottoms. You can still buy them if you know where to look.

@fulkthered

6 жыл бұрын

And a crane operator wearing a tie.

@MrWolfSnack

6 жыл бұрын

He mentions 1902, and then says a bit later "that was 70 years ago". 1902+70 = 1972. But then he goes on to mention the crane "looking like something out of Star Wars", Star Wars came out in 1977. He leater went on to say that 2 years on restoration have passed. The first surveying photographs of this project were taken in 1976 before recovery. 1976+ 2 = 1978. This film was published approximately 1978 or so, but would have been filmed a couple years earlier, as it takes some time to edit and narrate the video and waiting for the project to be completed so narration can be done, and then splice it all together onto a new reel.

So good to hear Brian Glover's voice again. Gone but not forgottent.

Ive never seen a steam crane in action, they possibly still in use when i was a wee lad but we have none restored, at least in my home state.I always loved the dinky little tank engines converted into light crane locos myself.

Awesome video of awesome machine, and people.

Absolutly Fantastic Restauration, Guys I love You👍💕

Nice to hear Brian glover's voice again.

Seeing this video reminded me that I used to see the old shovel when I was stationed at RAF Chicksands in the USAF. Going there was a favorite place to both fish, swim and party;l We used to swim out to the shovel and diver off the boom. that was back between 68 - 72 time frame. Seeing it brought back a lot of memories and I am glad to see they rescued her from the water. I dove around her and at one time had some pretty good pic I took on a bright day when the waters was clear and while not as good as I prefered they were still pretty good pics. It will be interesting to see if they post a video after they get her restored and running again.

@jmsmaxwell

7 жыл бұрын

Glad to hear it working now, I remember swimming out to it and diving around it when I was stationed over there. I love the old steam equipment I saw working in England and the numerous events that took place all year long. I tried to make as many as possible . Now just have to wait for the video of her resurrection and rebuilding to see her run again.

Does anyone know if the problems discovered were ever fixed and machine brought back to full running status?

Why am I watching this I have to be at work in 5 hours and I'm still awake

Dick Joyce was a good presenter and was the front man for farming Diary for many years in the 60's

Brilliant bit of original film at the start and end- Health and safety nowhere to be seen! Lovely to hear Brian Glover, what a sad day with his passing. Brilliant actor!

thank you

Back when a crane operator showed up for work with a suit an tie on underneath the coveralls

Wow, absolutely brilliant, nice to click on the link and see it now too.

@industrialheritage2158

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks , it made the effort worthwhile, more at thiswascumbria.uk/ ps I found the last DVD in the UK after chasing a lead from Anglia and they kindly gave me not for profit permission to put it on KZread so thanks Anglia TV. Peter

This was so good thanks a lot!

9:16 A chopper bike! That would fetch a few bob these days...PS Loving the flares..😉

Love the narration.

A time when machines were operated by men of steel. R.I.P. Mr. Hooley.

When I was a nipper in the 70s my next door neighbour used to work at Ruston. They were still there in the late 80s, but I don't know if they are still going today.

OMG!! Those flare pants, remember wearing those as a kid!!

I have been in contact with Ray Hooley last week, hope he is not dead as he is getting me details of a Ruston diesel engine

Love the flared jeans remember them well.But to the point a great job and well worth it

Well done guy's !!

wow that`s a real jam of a show

Heck, the video is 50 years old now!!!

The restoration team must have been upset when the crane broke down. But I think they'll cherish those precious memories of it working for just a little while

Brian Glover narrating, a steam shovel - Diamond T, Aveling plus Scammel Crusader - dose not get better than that...........

What happened to this marvelous piece of history? Did they fix her up and cast new roller's.

Touche... amazing....

So 5 years later was she repaired were she cracked? and do you have an up date video? Great video.

очень интересное видео! спасибо Вам за проделаную работу, что дали этому экскаватору - продедушке вторую жизнь.

A blast from the past... that was a good job for the apprentices though.

Very interesting. Thanks for shareing !

Amazing job, well done.

@industrialheritage2158

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Joseph, it made the effort worthwhile, more at thiswascumbria.uk/ ps I found the last DVD in the UK after chasing a lead from Anglia and they kindly gave me not for profit permission to put it on KZread so thanks Anglia TV. Peter

Lovely talk over great man

Neat.,Very interesting. Keep restore old equipment For the worlds History lessons.

what an absolutely wonderful project, congratulations to all those concerned. I think I saw the narrator was Brian Glover, you couldn't have made a better choice...... I think he might be "The fat Conductor" in disguise. Where does the term "Navey" come from please? What a really meaningful way to set the apprentices to a task, it would have been the best learning curve of their young lives. Well done guys, a video well worth the read

Well done.

Just look what you could achieve before Health & Safety stopped everything.

@simontay4851

3 жыл бұрын

exactly! No stupid hi vis jackets (they don't need to be seen from the moon), no hard hats, no bureurcratic paper work. They just turned up for work and fecking got on with it.

It is so very interesting to witness the ressurection of this old girl. It is very difficult to weld cast iron and put the weld under stress. It will work on valve bonnets but on wheels and a rotating memeber; success is not assured. I am sure slutions have been, or will be found. I have not witnessed a Steam Shovel working since 1960.

Incredible!

*A steam shovel isn't a crane. A road grader isn't a scraper. Steam shovels were before my time but I did get lots of stick (and foot) time operating a cable backhoe. Also operated a Cat D-8 cable dozer pulling a cable scraper, that combo known as "Cat and a can." Never had the opportunity to operate a cable shovel. For the non-operators, shovels are used for ground level and higher. Backhoes are designed for below ground level although the modern hydraulic backhoes, now called excavators, can dig high above ground.

great piece of history, not the shovel but the flared jeans and the chap on the Raleigh chopper!

a valiant effort

A delight to watch

Entertaining and interesting. Thanks.