Marion 6360

Common card · No. 297058

Marion 6360, known as "the Captain", was a giant power shovel built by the Marion Power Shovel company. Completed and commissioned on October 15, 1965, it was one of the largest land vehicles ever built, exceeded only by some dragline and bucket-wheel excavators. The shovel originally started work with Southwestern Illinois Coal Corporation, but the owners were soon bought out by Arch Coal. Everything remained the same at the mine except for the colors which were changed to red, white, and blue. Like most mining vehicles of extreme size, the Marion 6360 required a surprisingly small crew to operate it (a total of four people) consisting of an operator, oiler, welder, and a ground man who looked after the trailing cable. The shovel worked well for Arch Coal until September 9, 1991, when a fire broke out in the lower works of the shovel, caused by a burst hydraulic line that sprayed the hot fluids on an electrical relay panel. This fire caused a great deal of damage to both the lower works...

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