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View Full Version : Report-"Oddball"-Swillington walking dragline-18/4/9



ERNIE99_UK
19-04-2009, 02:39 AM
The 1,200 ton Bucyrus-Erie 1150-B dragline known as "Oddball" was built on the 30th December 1948, to be used in the coal mine stripping operations in West Virgina U.S.A where it served 4 years. It was transported in the mid 50's to the UK and used in the coal industry in South Wales. It is an amazing piece of machinery -- it took an entire fleet of trucks to move Oddball to Commock, Stafforshire to resume it's work as a dragline in the mining industry there. Its final operation was for Miller Mining in Yorkshire. While Oddball may be referred to as a walking dragline its top speed was .04 kph, not typical for a walking dragline. To put this puppy in perspective -- Oddball is the size of 60 double deck busses.

While the "Big Muskie" is the largest dragline built to date (weight 27 million lbs), Oddball is the only dragline of it's class to have been preserved. At its final resting place (open to the public) at an opencast mine site just outside Leeds, Yorkshire, Oddball quietly lowered it's boom unaided.

The jib is 215ft long and it was capable of moving 20,000 tonnes a day. It moved the 50 metres to its final resting place on a foggy january day in 1999.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/ernie99_uk/oddball/001.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/ernie99_uk/oddball/002.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/ernie99_uk/oddball/029.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/ernie99_uk/oddball/013.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/ernie99_uk/oddball/025.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/ernie99_uk/oddball/008.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/ernie99_uk/oddball/027.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/ernie99_uk/oddball/020.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/ernie99_uk/oddball/019.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/ernie99_uk/oddball/023.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/ernie99_uk/oddball/016.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/ernie99_uk/oddball/006.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/ernie99_uk/oddball/010.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/ernie99_uk/oddball/012.jpg

Blober
19-04-2009, 02:47 AM
I love these pieces of kit, great write up and pics!

boxfrenzy
19-04-2009, 08:38 AM
Nice one mate. It is massive. Glad it is there and not broken up for scrap.

KingElvis
19-04-2009, 10:17 AM
Great stuff, always liked the look of this.

Tankman
19-04-2009, 11:30 AM
Nice to see our Industrial Heritage being preserved in this way:thumb

There use to be a similar type of crane at the Former Stewartby Brickworks, Bedford, near me.
Don't know what happened to it after the brickworks closed though:confused:

KingElvis
19-04-2009, 08:27 PM
POTN used to stand for "plain old telephone network"

KingElvis
19-04-2009, 08:33 PM
Thanks for clearing that up then KE :lol::rolleyes:

Seriously, along with PSTN (Public switched telephone network) and IDSN (Indistry standard digital network)

LOL :thumb

ERNIE99_UK
19-04-2009, 11:03 PM
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=swillington&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&ie=UTF8&split=0&gl=uk&ei=sqDrSeuDFd3TjAegvaCfCg&ll=53.753669,-1.396058&spn=0.002937,0.009656&t=h&z=17

linkie

converse1
20-04-2009, 07:27 AM
That's a chunky monkey! nice one fella! :thumb

sqwasher
20-04-2009, 08:09 AM
Nice one Ernie-good to see some internal pics! :smclap That main body reminds me of a BIG ship out of water! :w00t

Muse
20-04-2009, 08:15 AM
that's an awesome bit of kit!

Rebel
20-04-2009, 10:54 AM
A few of mine...

Digital...



http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh295/Frontline81/Rebel/Oddball%20-%20Swillington/Digital/IMG_8960.jpg

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh295/Frontline81/Rebel/Oddball%20-%20Swillington/Digital/IMG_8971.jpg

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh295/Frontline81/Rebel/Oddball%20-%20Swillington/Digital/IMG_8974.jpg

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh295/Frontline81/Rebel/Oddball%20-%20Swillington/Digital/IMG_8924.jpg

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh295/Frontline81/Rebel/Oddball%20-%20Swillington/Digital/IMG_8939.jpg

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh295/Frontline81/Rebel/Oddball%20-%20Swillington/Digital/IMG_8941.jpg

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh295/Frontline81/Rebel/Oddball%20-%20Swillington/Digital/IMG_8958.jpg

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh295/Frontline81/Rebel/Oddball%20-%20Swillington/Digital/IMG_8911.jpg

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh295/Frontline81/Rebel/Oddball%20-%20Swillington/Digital/IMG_8929.jpg

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh295/Frontline81/Rebel/Oddball%20-%20Swillington/Digital/IMG_8959.jpg



35mm...

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh295/Frontline81/Rebel/Oddball%20-%20Swillington/CNV00015.jpg

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh295/Frontline81/Rebel/Oddball%20-%20Swillington/CNV00014.jpg

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh295/Frontline81/Rebel/Oddball%20-%20Swillington/CNV00016.jpg
Anyone know whats causing the lines?

~R

boxfrenzy
20-04-2009, 11:00 AM
I was hoping that there would be a drivers seat shot. Nice light on the film ones. No knowledge about the lines sadly. :(

Rebel
20-04-2009, 11:04 AM
Pics without dibs in the seat :lol:

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh295/Frontline81/Rebel/Oddball%20-%20Swillington/Digital/IMG_8975.jpg

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh295/Frontline81/Rebel/Oddball%20-%20Swillington/Digital/IMG_8976.jpg

was a tractor too if they float your boat...

http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh295/Frontline81/Rebel/Oddball%20-%20Swillington/Digital/IMG_8917.jpg

converse1
20-04-2009, 12:07 PM
The lines will be from dirt or grit either in the light trap on the 35mm cassete or something in the camera. Have a look at the film guides and gently clean them with a lens cloth. :thumb
Godd to see the Ricoh is up and running Rebel!

Rebel
20-04-2009, 01:51 PM
^^ OK, thanks Converse..i'll take a look tonight! One or two had some lines in the middle too. Very annoying! Thought it might have been the useless processor!


http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/hh295/Frontline81/Rebel/Oddball%20-%20Swillington/CNV00002.jpg

ceejam
18-04-2010, 08:11 PM
Bucyrus Erie "Oddball" open day 2010.

History really well reported by Ernie.

It was a really nice day when we went to the open day, Great company, Which consisted of TheOss, Judderman62 and Evilnoodle.

So here is a small sample of pics..

http://i756.photobucket.com/albums/xx207/ceejam/stjohnsoddball230.jpg

http://i756.photobucket.com/albums/xx207/ceejam/stjohnsoddball231.jpg

http://i756.photobucket.com/albums/xx207/ceejam/stjohnsoddball253.jpg

http://i756.photobucket.com/albums/xx207/ceejam/stjohnsoddball250.jpg

http://i756.photobucket.com/albums/xx207/ceejam/stjohnsoddball261.jpg

http://i756.photobucket.com/albums/xx207/ceejam/stjohnsoddball292.jpg

http://i756.photobucket.com/albums/xx207/ceejam/stjohnsoddball300.jpg

Thanks :thumb

ERNIE99_UK
18-04-2010, 08:13 PM
Its a monster isnt it:). It would still be worth something as a work machine back in america where it was made.

SilentHill
18-04-2010, 08:29 PM
Sorry I had to miss this now :(

That thing is massive :w00t

Nice shots there fella's ;)

ceejam
18-04-2010, 08:33 PM
Its a monster isnt it:). It would still be worth something as a work machine back in america where it was made.

You are not joking there fella, Hard to get your head around how it actually moved. :w00t