Buycrus Erie 50B Steam Shovel heading out to the pi.

When I was five, my mum used to take me to see Ruston Bucyrus shovels working in the quarry. She sketched them from the cliff top. Easel and watercolor. One day, we got spotted. Big guys turned up and started shouting. Then, they saw her drawings. They took their caps off and departed. Apologised. Carried on. Great men.

To this day, I don't call them excavators. I call them steam shovels. Such a beast of a machine. Thanks for showing us that survivor.

What amazes me about steam shovels is that it's like a living being instead of a machine.

Thank you to all that save these beautiful machines

Pretty cool to see an old shovel running that at one time built the Panama Canal by the dozens. Imagine running one down in Panama in all that heat and all the noise they make in a canyon.

not a transistor or capacitor or cpu or tech support needed here . so refreshing.

Love these old machines, so much nicer than modern stuff! OK, since no one else seems to have said it, here goes...LOOK It's Mike Mulligan and Mary Ann!

Wow, those things must have looked like monsters when they were running!

I am in awe. I guess I always thought the term steam shovel was just a saying. That’s a second guy in the back running the boiler isn’t he? What a machine!

To those comments about "this thing should be in a museum", it is. The Roots of Motive Power is a working and restoring museum in Willits, Ca. Comprised of a group of people who have over many years put together a pretty big stable of steam operated logging and construction equipment (as well as some gas and diesel antique stuff) that has been salvaged after years of abandonment in the woods, or as they explained at one their shows, this shovel last worked on the San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge and was left in the mud flats for years (at least that's what I think they said, don't quote though LOL). They do their own restoration work and used to put on classes where you could join up, and learn all about these machines and do hands on work. They generally have a big show once a year, used to be on Labor Day weekend I think. Anyway, if you have interest in this stuff you really need to go to their show.

Who would have ever thought it would be headed out the gate under its own power…..amazing!

Love that old bits of kit like this still exist and work! Nice one!. Nuff said!. 🙂

Blows my mind that this was once considered state of the art!

Panama canal machines I recall? I ran a BE 66 shovel Murphy Diesel at our antique show . Compare to my 325 CAT 1998 excavator.. Operator got some workout in those friction shovels. Wow!

So GOOD this old girl Did NOT end up on the Scrap like so many others, a similar machine is not too far from me in town Not in running order, this machine MUST be at LEAST 150 years old the fact that it is still here is a miracle but it runs drives under its OWN POWER QUITE INCREDIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Back then the wave of the future!

Awesome beautiful piece of history

What a beautiful machine. A fine piece of craftsmanship!

There's always someone out there waving their arms around uselessly

I've often wondered what a steam shovel looked and sounded like. Thanks for the video.