Mr Tom

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Mr Tom is a 1970s model Bucyrus Erie 1570W walking dragline, a massive piece of mining equipment owned by the Drummond Company and used in coal mining operations in the Birmingham District.

The 7-8 million pound crane with its 300-foot boom and 78-cubic yard bucket is powered by three on-board generators. The name "Mr Tom" is painted on the sides in rounded block letters with a drawing of a costumed cat resembling Tom from the Tom & Jerry cartoon series.

The machine was used at the Kellerman Mine near Brookwood in Tuscaloosa County. When operations there ceased in 1995, the equipment was left idle and exposed to the elements. Workers for Twin Pines LLC, a joint venture of Drummond and U. S. Steel, refurbished Mr Tom in 2012 and began the slow, laborious process of "walking" it to the Shannon Mines between Abernant and Bessemer in Jefferson County.

References

  • Whitmire, Kyle (January 3, 2013) "Drummond Co. brings a monster machine back to life as Alabama's mining industry looks to be reborn." The Birmingham News

External links