Sunshine Miners - Swillington, UK - Citizen Memorials on Waymarking.com

BUCYRUS ERIE 1150-B WALKING DRAGLINE EXCAVATOR THE SUNSHINE MINERS
LANDMARK MEMORIAL
REMEMBERING ALL THOSE AND THEIR MACHINES WHO
WORKED IN THE OPEN CAST COAL MINING INDUSTRY

The dragline excavator was built in the USA 1948. It worked there until 1952. It was then bought by the National Coal Board and shipped to the UK working first at the Terpentwys opencast coal site in South Wales, later moving to the Poplars site near Cannock. In 1972 it made its final move to St Aidan's and worked here until the River Aire flooded the site in 1988, stopping work for ten years.
When mining restarted in 1998 the dragline was not required and it was donated for preservation by the site operator, RJB Mining.

A £100,000 Heritage Lottery grant was obtained along with funding from the Science Museum PRISM Fund and the EC RECHAR Fund. Leeds City Council, the St Aidan's trust and a number of local engineering companies also gave their support.

The drag line was moved so metres to its present position in 1999 arid-was formally opened by Richard Budge of RJB Mining. Since then it has been open to. the public on regular open days and for private visits. This is is now the only remaining example of a large dragline in Western Europe.

The Friends of St Aidans B E 1150 Walking Dragline     www.walkingdragline.org