Walking Dragline open days etc.

There's some SIMCA content in this post but this was at the open days for the preserved 1200 ton Walking Dragline Excavator at Swillington near Leeds. Built in 1948 by Bucyrus Erie in Milwauke this monster was imported in the early 50's with 2 or 3 others to get opencast coal mining going as machines of this size just weren't available here. It worked in South Wales for some years, then at Cannock in Staffordshire finally arriving at the giant St Aidans coal site in Leeds, having to be dismantled and rebuilt each time. It worked there until '88 when the nearby river Aire burst into the 300ft deep workings and flooded everything. The majority of the Machinery was saved including this machine and the much bigger 2000 ton British built Rapier Dragline that had joined it in the mid '80s. surprising as these machines move so slowly. When the River and nearby canal were re routed into a straight channel and the workings were drained mining resumed in '98. The 1150B dragline now preserved wasn't put back to work and surprisingly not scrapped.. instead it was presented to Leeds council. I'm part of a group 'the Friends of the Dragline' who host open days through the year. Old vehicles are always welcome at these to add to the show and the events draw good crowds, with young & old enjoying sitting 3 storeys up in the driver's seat.
I took a different SIMCA from my collection each day and they were joined by tractors and a spectacular Plymouth Barracuda. Photos below...