The Big Muskie

The Big Muskie was a model 4250-W dragline and was the only one ever built by the Bucyrus-Erie. With a 220-cubic-yard (170 m3) bucket, it was the largest single-bucket digging machine ever created and one of the world's largest mobile earth-moving machines alongside the Ohio-based Marion 6360 stripping shovel called The Captain and the German bucket wheel excavators of the Bagger 288 and Bagger 293 family. The bucket alone could hold two Greyhound buses side by side. It took over 200,000 man hours to construct over a period of about two years and cost $25 million in 1969, the equivalent of $185 million today adjusted for inflation.

[@MarkGarver623]

I used to sell the lubricants for Big Muskie when I worked at Whitmore Lubricants, and spent a lot of time on it a number of times. Once when we “walked” BM over a mile to a new pit location. Loved that machine!

[@SerialDesignationNShorts]

The one thing I want in life….is to see the big boi Muskie. And see its bucket and see its full size and what the engine purr. Rest in peace big Muskie. You’ll be remembered as a legend to the internet.

[@amogus_sus...]

My parents had their wedding in the bucket of the big Muskie

[@MarkGarver623]

The machine was torn down many years ago and sold for scrap metal. One of the buckets is located by the road like a museum piece.

[@amogus_sus...]

@@MarkGarver623 the same one my parents got married in

[@MikeFigluizzi-ly1ec]

I was 11 years old when I got to see the muskie,we went to I think Zanesville Ohio if I'm right,my uncle Carl stokes showed it to me.

[@doug3819]

It would have been zanesville closest city. Was your uncle mayor of Cleveland at one time ? The mayor of Cleveland use to be carl stokes

[@davidhouser586]

220 cubic yards a scoop is massive

[@nagyattilalevente7065]

Csodalatos. Nagyon szeretem ❤

[@joeljohnson3676]

That's Dale Gribble!

[@lightspeed4596]

Thanks for sharing this video! Wish I could've seen it in person.

[@fredbrush7874]

What a massive dragline.Great video.wish I had a chance to see it .sorry to see it cut up for scrap.

[@josephastier7421]

The one and only.

[@RoadLiner]

Great video it would be amazing if such a impressive machine as Big Muskie was still in operation I plan on taking a ride over on my Harley from S.Western Pennsylvania to see the bucket in person and get a few pictures taken.

[@jumpingjeffflash9946]

The amount of wear all those sheaves, chains, joints, cables all get has to be huge. I can imagine the chain does a number on the bucket scraping it constantly.

[@BakuganBrawler211]

Come take a look at it yourself it’s crazy seeing the scars on the bucket in person

[@edgarandrews3691]

I wonder what the weakest component was when that thing

[@opdaishinkan582]

11:03 this crazy

[@tomrogers9467]

Sounds like it used almost as much electrical energy as the coal it mined produced!

[@williammain7281]

Agree and if you add in all the energy expended to build and move it to Ohio, plus all the resources to get the coal to the processing plant and on to the power plant. Justification: These are the kind of numbers the anti-green energy people cite about solar and wind. I have even heard someone talk about the energy losses in electric transmission lines as a reason not to use electric stuff. Also they hate the idea that Muskie was... wait for it... electric not diesel.

[@BlackPill-pu4vi]

Great video ruined by a crappy soundtrack.

[@justbe4481]

That sound track was the sound of the times of the 1970s😂....

[@wmden1]

I had rather hear the sound of the machine too. I guess we have to take the good with the bad. It is a great video of a mechanical world wonder, in operation.

[@theunemployedtrucker]

It sounds like a cheap porn movie music 😂😂😂😂

[@theunemployedtrucker]

Love the video but the early 80s porno music definitely doesn't go with it 😂😂

[@chuckh.2227]

Ridiculous music makes it unwatchable

[@SteamCrane]

I muted it. Too bad the camera didn't have a microphone.