How big is big? Southeast Kansas had quite a coal mining history. Most of the coal was shallow and they’d remove the top layer of dirt and what have you to get at the coal. You 

 The company had a huge shovel built that was assembled on site, powered by electricity with cables running from the electric station to the shovel, that consumed electricity equivalent to 15,000 households.

The specs on this thing are staggering. The bucket could dig 150 tons per scoop. Two 3,500 electric motors, driving 13 DC motors. Top speed of .22 mph, it weighed 11,000,000 pounds. The tread is 7 feet high. Each tread plate is 5-1/2′ long and weighs 2,000 pounds. It took a year to assemble it on site, up to 52 men, and it was shipped on 150 rail cars.

I had the chance to climb the boom 25+ years ago, you could do it in those days. With the Kansas wind and the steep angle, I was paying attention! Once at the top, the sight is pretty spectacular.

Now they have a sign that says, “The boom is closed because of the insurance company.” While I understand the risk, it’s too bad you can’t enjoy a truly spectacular sight.

Big Brutus is the third-biggest shovel ever built. The 2nd biggest burned up and they cut it up for scrap. The biggest is buried in the pit it dug in Kentucky. Because the machine is all in proportion, you don’t appreciate how big it is until you’re up close and personal, at which point the sheer size is staggering.