Page 721 Documentary

[@douglasmcclellan4637]

Riverhill Coal had 2 700 Series Pages, one in Karthaus was fitted with 2 CAT Engines by former owner Jim Hoffman. Other Page was moved to Karthaus from New Garden with Page Engine. We worked one winter replacing rails and rollers. When Karthaus Page was owned by Hoffman, his relation was day shift operator. Hoffman gave him hell because he was always dirty. Hoffman came out one morning and his relation had on a tux with Abe Lincoln Hat tipping as he swung the drag! Both have been scraped by current owner.

[@michaelfrench4505]

I worked on a dragline just like this as an oiler/groundman back in the early 1980's. We were digging a deep drainage ditch around the perimeter of the mine. And the ditch was so deep in places that we had to dig the top half of the ditch and then walk the dragline down in the ditch to finish it. They also had to blast rock so we could dig the ditch. I certainly enjoyed working on this machine, except for the hand pumps for the swing gear cases. You pumped oil from the sump of the gear cases back up to a reservoir on top of the gear cases. Then the oil would drip on the gears. I also noticed in the video that all the manhole covers were gone from outside the tub, which were easy prey for thieves.

[@karlk6860]

Fascinating old machine ! you did a great job presenting the old work horse. I bet it was one of the tops in its day! Thanks for sharing!

[@PAmining]

Thank you! Gad you enjoyed it :)

[@canvids1]

great walk around Justin of this very old machine and nice to see the old stuff of years passed.

[@tobiasburen8340]

A beautiful monument. Well made document. Thanks for that!

[@TheSpazModic]

Thank you for researching and documenting these pieces of history.I have seen just about every engine configuration imaginable, in both stationary and mobile equipment. But I have NEVER seen a horizontal V-6!

[@PAmining]

+TheSpazModic That's what made these diesel powered Page draglines so cool! I've always been told by old time operators that the Page engine had a very distinctive sound unlike anything else.

[@michaelfrench4505]

+TheSpazModic What's so special about a V-6 engine with a horizontal crankshaft?

[@TheSpazModic]

***** I was referring to the engine block being mounted horizontally, or turned 90 degrees from the usual position.

[@973motoguy8]

+Michael French no. the motors horizontal. as in the v6 is laid on its side, on upright like a car

[@hammerdragon4321]

I would love to acquire this old walking dragline restore it to fully operating

[@10003beemer]

I oiled on this machine in 1969

[@willcojak9650]

I was 10 in 69.

[@mrbluesky2050]

rare beastie....would have liked to hear that diesel run...

[@dontisacko2657]

I grew up in snow shoe pa.there was 2 of these page draglines running in the area back in the 70s.just over the hill,at the #22 mine,u could hear it running, especially at night.kathump,kathump,kathump,U could hear individual cylinders firing.i fell asleep many nights as a young boy listening to that engine.btw,idk about 450 rpm,sounded much slower than that to me.

[@TimothyLing-px5cg]

In the early 1960s, Fedorov Coal had a Model 728, Page dragline erected outside of Jennerstown Pa. I always wondered what ever happened to that machine.

[@UnitCrane514]

Awesome! I wish you posted these as often as you used to!!

[@PAmining]

+UnitCrane514 Just been busy with work. Not to worry though, I have plenty of new videos coming up!

[@mojostevo]

Outstanding video as usual Justin.

[@PAmining]

+mojostevo Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!

[@jix177]

It looks to be in surprisingly good condition, but realistically it's probably not going to move from there again unfortunately. Good documentary, thanks.

[@wmden1]

Good descriptive video. Thanks. It is sad to see this valuable machine in this condition. It still looked pretty solid, except for the rust and sickening paint. I would have liked to see the cable paths to the boom and bucket.

[@calraines6931]

Seems like the super structure up top is kind of spindly for a long boom. Mind you, I'm no engineer, and clearly the design worked. Must have been something back in it's day. Thanks for the tour! All best.

[@PAmining]

+cal raines Yes, the Page draglines were very unique in their design and well engineered. In fact,the owner of Page Engineering is credited with developing the worlds first walking dragline.

[@ronwilliams4262]

I've been waiting to see you do this, good job enjoyed the video

[@PAmining]

+Ron Williams Thanks; glad you enjoyed it!

[@boe4448]

Yet another great video. How do you find so many cool old machines?👍👌

[@jhunter206l3]

A friend of mine use to operate that drag. He would let me run it on night shifts. Very slow, could eat your lunch while the bucket was being pulled in. But they ran forever...

[@PAmining]

+Joe Fox Cool! I've heard the Pages were not known for their speed haha

[@lewiemcneely9143]

There's a video of one of thise engines running and you talk about kerthump, kerthump. Good one pal and the fairlead is to keep the rope spooled up right on the drag drum.

[@catdieselpower193]

Hell yea justin dam nice work and find!! as allways!! keep up the fine work amigo!

[@jw4620]

What a beauty! Thanks!

[@dunksjunk]

What was the biggest model page built with their diesel engine? Swear years ago I had come across some literature where they offered twin engine setups in larger machines

[@MrAerocomposites]

Thank you for your website. A question. In the mid-1960's we visited and old coal strip mine on a mountain in Pennsylvania. We accessed it by driving on PA Route 144 then on a dirt road for miles. It was near Snow Shoe, PA and had an old abandoned walking dragline that looked sort of like this, especially the big windows. I guess it must have been built by Page Engineering. You seem to know so very much about draglines. Could you shed any light on the one we saw? Thank you.

[@gulfwarveteran3832]

RS Carlin was a big company around the Snowshoe area. My late father and I worked in the strip mining industry in Clearfield and Centre counties. I now live in Texas and work road construction

[@lewiemcneely9143]

That is a neat old rig. I bet it had a thump when those 11 inch pistons got to flopping around. Somebody ought to put this one back to work because it's not in bad shape for it's age at all. Good video, Pal!

[@PAmining]

+Lewie McNeely It would be cool to see one working. I don't think there is an original Page dragline still in operation today. Thanks!

[@edwu8253]

Great video👍

[@nardp96]

I saw in some of your other videos that they still use draglines, they're amazing machines but seem cumbersome. Do they have an advantage over other machines to still warrant being used or are some mines just slow to phase them out? I run machines for a construction company so I have limited knowledge when it comes to mining.

[@chrisb3583]

+nardp96 I believe draglines are the cheapest method in terms of $/cubic yard for stripping overburden to get to the coal / mineral undermeath.

[@Megashovelman]

It must have been a smaller version of the walking draglines before other manufacturers would later on make the walking draglines bigger in size and weight for much larger scale mining projects.Will this Page 721 be working again or possibly scrapped?

[@PAmining]

+Megashovelman Back in the day, walking draglines as small as 1 cubic yard were available. Today a machine of this scale is seen to be completely inefficient and obsolete when compared to modern earthmoving equipment, however at one time, draglines used to be THE WAY to mine. I doubt this machine will ever run again, however the owner says he does not want to scrap it. It last operated in 2001.

[@Megashovelman]

+PAmining It might have been a real productive machine for it's time but I think if it was repainted or reconditioned it might be a good item to display in a historical museum for Heavy Equipment.

[@memyselfandifarmer]

nicely done, i wish i could go back 60 years, today just stinks, plastic, duck tape and zip ties, today= cheap.

[@lancebowman4832]

Maybe you could tell me some info here. When I was about 5-6 ('08-'09) i got to look over a page walking dragline in karthus. Pa. It had a hole in the block and was to be scrapped or buried in the current pit. I never saw it again and thought you might have some info.

[@PAmining]

+PA diecast construction Yes, that was a model 625. It was scrapped in 2011. I still wish I could have filmed that machine.

[@dontisacko2657]

I now live in karthaus pa.i know of the Page U are talking about.as of a couple years ago,it was sitting not far off of the paved road to Pottersdale Pa..The boom was on the ground and it might have been cut up for scrap by now

[@bradleycittel1156]

Is that machine still in working condition?

[@PAmining]

+Bradley Cittel Yes

[@unairadm]

like from another star

[@CaptainGuntu]

Deluxe.

[@Oliver66FarmBoy]

Has the fate of that ol girl been decided yet or is it safe from the scrappers for now?

[@PAmining]

+Oliver66FarmBoy The owner currently does not want to scrap the machine, but such the fate of many machines, I'm sure it will be eventually.