Thoroughly satisfied with the trip to Crystal Bridges….now we had completed any ‘plans’ that had been made for 2026. Next up…the plan was a ‘where the wind blows’ travelling vaguely in the direction of home.
It was hot enough now (in July after all) that I needed to find spots with power to run the AC for the comfort of the now elderly small fluffy ginger guy who travels with us. I was searching for either a Boondockers Welcome or a campground. I have to say I did not have high hopes for Kansas…….boy was I in for some surprises.
What I found in the South east corner of Kansas was Big Brutus. What the heck is that ? you ask……well….!!!!
Big Brutus was the largest electric shovel ever made and was used in the strip mining industry in Kentucky between 1963 and 1972. This gargantuan piece of machinery has been partly restored and now serves as the major player in a museum site of mining equipment. It’s all volunteer run…and it also has a little beauty of a full service campground on the grounds.
We were there all by ourselves….!!!
With a front row view of Big Brutus himself and difficult to demonstrate the scale of this monster…..but I will try…!!!
The museum itself has a collection of historical documents and photographs of the mining operations, the equipment and people involved in the strip mining operations that were once the industry of this area, as well as the whole story of Big Brutus himself.
Outside in the grounds …..you can actually climb up into the belly of the beast…..I had my matching bright orange t-shirt on to make me easier to spot….!!!Yes I am in this picture.
Its a winding path of catwalks to get up under the main body…….
…then up some steel ladders to look around the inside….
It’s also incredibly hot inside…even with none of the actual machinery working….and the noise must have been off the charts
The shee scale of this thing is almost unimaginable….even as you are standing inside it. Here is my arm with the ginormous cables.
You can climb inside the cab and sit in the drivers seat……(the cab actually had an a/c unit running in it…!!!)
The shovel itself could move 80 cubic yards of material in one scoop. They had pictures in the museum of a bulldozer parked inside the shovel…!!!
An impressive thing no doubt…..and you can see all the places this thick thick steel warped and buckled doing its job…..with lots of additional reinforcing strips welded on………and a little bit of mother nature to illustrate the point…..
There are many other large pieces of earth moving equipment that have found a resting place on this site……this one……which originally was used to dredge the Mississippi.
The noise, vibration and heat sitting so close to these engines must have been almost unbearable, and all for 10c/hour.
Sometimes, there are people who just cant resist playing with the big toys…..LOL
Who would have though that all this old mining equipment could be so fascinating….but it was
The other big plus….when the museum closed…and they locked the gate….we were the only trailer in there……..it was sooooo quiet……just us and a fully illuminated Big Brutus.
When we pulled out to head for th next stop…..we just had to pose the trailer with good old Brutus……!!!
Big Brutus was a great find….we highly recommend a visit to this little gem of a spot.
Extra Pix
OsteoPraxis on the road 
Fascinating …your orange shirt was an excellent choice for dramatic effect! You tow do find some interesting spots and displays…I love that it’s maintained by volunteers.
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The lady in the museum had a laugh at me matching Brutus….. 😆
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