I've watched a lot of videos on these huge machines and this one is the best so far, bar NONE! THanks for whoever shot this one and got everything there was to get about everything there was that worked.

Great video, thanks guys God bless ❤ Retired IUOE Local 49

I got to see it in action more than once and also it’s “kind of” twin the Silver Spade. It was altogether different than watching Big Muskie as it was a literal dragline and these two were closer to dragline excavators. It’s like watching 3-4 story buildings that move around acting like machines. When I was a kid, things like these were the spark for my imagination.

I love mining machinery. Thanks for posting the video!

@maxmcg2762

Жыл бұрын

You bet!

Thanks for this video. Back in the early '80s my wife and I watched the GEM in action near New Athens Ohio. While we were there a small tornado came through the mining site but the GEM kept working like nothing happened. This was back when you could still visit places like this.

@joshrepik

3 жыл бұрын

Was that the gem or the spade? I feel like the spade spent way more time in that area, unless the gem was moved to Egypt valley at some point

@bearbon2

3 жыл бұрын

@@joshrepik Yes, it had "THE GEM" on the side in big letters. We stopped at the Consol office and they gave us some nice promotional literature for it and then allowed me to drive my car down to the work site where we sat and watched the beast at work. Nice people. Great memory.

@joshrepik

3 жыл бұрын

@@bearbon2 after I posted that to you, I learned that the GEM was moved over to new Athens later on, which must explain it

@bethanyhaskiell9116

2 жыл бұрын

@@joshrepik The shovels name was The Gem Of Egypt cause it mined Egypt Valley

@joshrepik

2 жыл бұрын

@@bethanyhaskiell9116 sort of, I believe Egypt valley is named after the gem, rather than the other way around

Don't forget the Mountaineer was a big shovel as well.

Impresionantes imágenes sobre esta asombrosa máquina junto a The Silver Spade son un hito de la ingeniería humana, saludos :-)

Was this just north of St Claresville off of RT 9 ?

i think the marion 6360 captain was almost twice as big

I live in Holloway Ohio right next to Egypt Valley the place the shovel was named after .

they worker with my Grandfather and uncles of the Mills family from Cadiz

Jeeezus, what the main boom does during acceleration / deceleration when the whole machine is rotating! I mean...I knew it but visually...its almost horrifying! Great video. Shame its all gone.

@BlackPill-pu4vi

9 ай бұрын

It IS a shame that these giant mining machines are all gone. What is even worse is that the MEANS to build those machines are also gone. Even if we magically restored the heavy smokestack industries and all the backstory to making stuff like the Gem and Big Muskie, the PEOPLE have long lost the knowledge and industrial habits that make it all work. In short, we couldn't build great things, like these mining machines, if our lives depended on it.

One question. Why was it repainted orange and yellow instead of red and white?

@epistte

7 ай бұрын

Those were Consol corporate colors.

Are any of the operators of these shovels still alive?

@maxmcg2762

Жыл бұрын

i have since moved to TEXAS and no longer have contact with any of those guys.

The silver spade is the twin to the gem of Egypt both and big brute and big David were bucyrus erie 1950 b power shovel and boy are those machines bigger than a house

@maxmcg2762

Жыл бұрын

Yeah C'mon !