Big Brutus, Inc.


Useful Information

Location: Near West Mineral. Southwest of Pittsburg. From K7/K102 Junction 10 km west and 400 m south. (37°16'24.54"N, 94°56'17.73"W)
Open:
Fee: Adults USD 5, Children (6-12) USD 3.50, Children (0-5) free, Seniors (65+) USD 4.50. [2005]
Classification:
Light: LightIncandescent Electric Light System
Dimension:
Guided tours: self guided
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:
Address: Big Brutus, Inc., P.O. Box 25, West Mineral, KS 66782, Tel: +1-620-827-6177.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then.
Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1962 Big Brutus built, used to build Mine 19.
1974 Big Brutus decommissioned.
13-JUL-1985 16-story shovel donated to Big Brutus, Inc. by the Pittsburg & Midway Coal Mining Company.
SEP-1987 designated a Regional Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).
1991 exhibition enhanced by a 1920 Page dragline used by the Wilkinson Coal Company.

Description

Big Brutus is the second largest electric coal shovel in the world, 16-stories or 49 m high. Although it is not underground, it is an important part of mining history. It was used to mine coal in an opencast mine. It was built in 1962 by Bucyrus Erie named model 1850B, and sold for 6.5 million Dollar to the Pittsburg & Midway Coal Mining Company. The dipper has a capacity of 69m³, which is enough to fill three railroad cars.