Bucyrus

[Mother Deuce]

Great find and a good tale to boot. I wish my backyard was that cool! With retirement looming out there just over the hill not to far they would be the perfect twins. Looking at the just the condition of the brake pedal "grousers" it does not look like they had a lot of use. I have seen brake pedals with holes wore in them by boot leather. What kinda 5 figures? Rational 5 figures or the other kind?

 

[DMiller]

He said was working on his price but in the current condition was not going to be pretty nor low.

 

[Mother Deuce]

Too bad... they will probably get left by people that would save them as the history of our craft

 

[mowingman]

Ok, 25D sounds about right on the model. That would have been my other guess.

 

[DMiller]

Got a reply from the owner, mid teens on each with a couple grand more for the crane attachment with one of them.

 

[Mother Deuce]

Hmmmm that may not be all that bad.

 

[DMiller]

IF the engines still rotate(Shields on radiators for fans)and I get the covers off to verify the racks are not locked, these may be well worth more but he is willing to deal. He as I hate to leave machines sit, knows is harder on them than working every day.

 

[Mother Deuce]

They are Detroits... I always thought if you buried one in the backyard for 5 or ten years it would probably fire and run! LOL! (I am being facetious) I am a little curious, I thought NW used Murphys.

 

[RZucker]

They are Detroits... I always thought if you buried one in the backyard for 5 or ten years it would probably fire and run! LOL! (I am being facetious) I am a little curious, I thought NW used Murphys.

Honestly I have never seen a Detroit that was locked up from sitting unless water was leaked into the cylinders. Stuck injectors, valves, and rings on the other hand... I picked up an 8V-71 once for free and connected batteries and fuel to see if it would run, It sounded like a turbine when I hit the button, I think it took a couple of seconds to spin down after I let off the button. In the end I had 2 good heads and a good short block.
If the racks are stuck plenty of WD-40 on the plungers and tapping the plungers with a hammer and a nylon punch will usually free them up.

 

[DMiller]

Helped pull three old Detroits out of Alton Pool on the MS River, been down that road. We did not even overhaul them, pulled all the covers, washed with water to move the mud then back washed with diesel then engine oil. Those engines never had a head off and were back to work in a week, did not miss a beat for seven years when they sold them off the barge.

 

[DMiller]

Old exhaust stacks point up and straight back 90 degrees, do have mufflers on the engines and no rust trails to be seen HOWEVER drain holes could have filled up, could have gotten wet, will soon find out.

 

[Mother Deuce]

Old exhaust stacks point up and straight back 90 degrees, do have mufflers on the engines and no rust trails to be seen HOWEVER drain holes could have filled up, could have gotten wet, will soon find out.

Good Luck with that! I hope they are pristine as they can be given the situation

 

[Mother Deuce]

On the B+E front, woke up from my commuter haze long enough to almost go whizzing out into the brush after seeing this lovely unit and friends !

 

[Mother Deuce]

...and a few more. I saw these Weds but had to get permission to enter the property for today.

 

[DMiller]

Just so sad to see graceful old machines die the slow death.

 

[Graham1]

Just so sad to see graceful old machines die the slow death.

I have to agree. If you don’t want them, rather than let them rust away give them to someone who will restore them to their forma glory.
It seems such a waste to let them rust into oblivion.
Graham

 

[Mother Deuce]

Just so sad to see graceful old machines die the slow death.

It sure is... The owner of this one passed some time ago. He was much loved and loved old gear and trucks like the rest of us. It has been sitting in that spot for many years as she is sinking vertically into the ground. I am trying to contact it's care provider. I am hopeful that something can be worked out. However it may be such a heirloom piece to this man's heirs it may be just too painful to see it leave. In which case she will be where she is.

 

[Mother Deuce]

Made contact with the shovel's owners and it is as I surmised they are going to keep her... and the hunt continues.

 

[rayman]

So often those old machines are called "leverites" leave her right where she is./

 

[Mother Deuce]

This is the case. The gentleman that owned seemed to leave a little early. They are greatly attached to the machine as a daily reminder of him.