Ian Fletcher1970 wrote:BulldozerD11 wrote::claphands: Nice collection of photos there Paul
Like the shot down the boom Ian.
Dose anybody know was Big John bigger than Oddball ?
Dave
Hi Dave
Oddball - 1150B bucket size 20-25 cu yds on 180-215ft boom
Big John - 1260W bucket size 32 cu yds on a 260ft boom
This is taken from the book 'Bucyrus Heavy Equipment' by Keith Haddock
All The Best - Ian
Great shots of Big John there Ian! Any more? I am in the process of making a 1:50 scale model of that exact machine, as I grew up in Ibstock & used to watch both Big John & Little John working along side each other I have a rather large soft spot for that dragline. I do have some pics of my own that I must get scanned in, relating to the lowering of the boom one sunny August day, & a few more when the machine was being cut up a few years later.
As regards to the specs of the 1260W draglines, as follows:
Ruston Bucyrus of lincoln made a total of six 1260's in the late 70's early 80's period. Four of these machines were put to work in the UK, while the other two were shipped to overseas customers. Of the two in Leicestershire that went to work in the coalfields farm site (later to be known as coalfield north after extensions), the Bucyrus Erie badged Little John was the first to be erected & put to work, this is the machine that is mentioned in Keith Haddock's book, this carried the 260ft boom, the Ruston Bucyrus badged Big John was the second machine to be put to work on this site, this was sporting a longer 285ft boom set at a 38deg angle. The idea was that these two worked along side each other, one re-handling the spoil from the first dragline!? (well it was taxpayers money at the time)...Little John was parked up towards the Ravenstone end of the site in the mid to late 80's, becoming no more than a doner machine for the other machines in the UK until being cut up.
The machine in Northumberland (Chevington Collier) was also badged as a B-E machine & sported a 260ft boom, while again, the Scottish 1260W was badged as a Ruston Bucyrus machine sporting the same 285ft length boom as Big John in Leicestershire.