# Scratchbuild idea/pix -- Thew steam shovel



## Mik (Jan 2, 2008)

Kim and I went to the National Pike show in Brownsville, Pa this afternoon, and saw this neat beastie. I have too many irons in the fire at the moment, but maybe this winter.....









Bit o' history by Keith Haddock 2007: 

"Captain Richard Thew is credited with building America's first fully revolving shovel and, like most inventions, it originated from an idea to serve a specific need. Back in the 1890s, Thew, captain of an ore-carrying boat on the Great Lakes, often encountered the problem of handling iron ore once it was deposited on the docks. At that time, such work was done with "railroad-type" steam shovels that traveled on railroad tracks. They were heavy, cumbersome, and could only swing their booms from side to side in a half-circle. Much hand work was required to clean areas beyond the shovel's reach and also to frequently reposition the railroad tracks.

Captain Thew studied these problems of ore handling and conceived a unique machine that would overcome the former difficulties and restrictions. With the help of H.H. Harris, an experienced shovel designer, Thew built his first machine at the Variety Iron Works in Cleveland in 1895. His machine was a fully revolving steam excavator with a 5/8-cubic-yard shovel attachment that could swing in a full circle, the first with this capability built in America. To add even more flexibility, he mounted the machine on four steel traction wheels, which could steer and propel itself without the need for labor-intensive rail tracks. Now able to travel without restriction, the shovel was able to perform any loading or cleanup work over the entire dock property, doing away with most of the hand labor.


The Thew shovel also boasted a unique horizontal crowding or thrusting motion that remains unique to this day. Instead of mounting the bucket arm so that it pivoted on a shipper shaft attached to the mid-point of the boom, the back end of the arm was pivoted to a steam-driven carriage running in a horizontal frame. This arrangement gave the machine superior clean-up capabilities as the shovel bucket could travel a greater horizontal distance at ground level than a conventional shovel"


Also, by George Frederick Wright - 1916

"Unique features in design give the Thew shovel a place of prestige among machines of its type. Most important among these characteristics is what the Thew engineers call the "full swing" principle, by virtue of which a steam shovel of any type is enabled to describe with its boom and bucket, a full circle. The shovel swings through a complete circle, delivering the excavated material at any desired point, either at the side or in the rear of the machine. The value of this feature is obvious. However, the feature most characteristic of the Thew machines is what is known aji the "horizontal dipper crowding motion," or the "trolley motion." By this device the dipper bucket is carried directly forward without changing the angle of the bucket face with the ground. The advantages of this feature can also be readily understood by persons who are not practical engineers. There is a minimum of lost motion and power in the Thew excavator. This feature is of special advantage in street excavation and grading, since the dipper cleans a floor absolutely to the grade upon which the shovel is being operated." 


















































































video:


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## on30gn15 (May 23, 2009)

That is awesome, Thanks!


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Did you say Hi to Mike Mulligan?


http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com..._mulligan/


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## Mik (Jan 2, 2008)

Another few seconds showing how the crowd works. Wish I had taken a few more detail pics of the controls, winding drum and boiler layout.


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Amazing... I've never heard of the Horizontal Crowder before, very simple and effective. 

Yet it also limits the height the bucket can go, which would limit the usefulness in other apllications. 

Gonna make yours live steam?


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## Mik (Jan 2, 2008)

Not live steam, but the wheeled carriage will save me a LOT of headaches and $$ over trying to find/build crawler tracks.

As they were probably loading the dirt into horse drawn or tiny NG industrial RR equipment in 1913, the boom lift height might not have been that much of an issue. Thew later used a more conventional dipper.


Some appropriate era stuff to go with your steam shovel....

1923 Mack AC dump


















Brookie and tipper, substitute a little saddle tank Porter for early...


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

Mik,

How about one of these? 2 1/2 inch, live steam shovel and drag-line.





How about one of these.


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## Mik (Jan 2, 2008)

Gary, My live steam project of the last decade is a 1/3 size freescale steam roller loosely resembling one made by Leader. I have the boiler, engine, front & rear rolls, Gardner governor, injector, hand pump, and steering gear. I need to scrounge the drive gearing and some steel yet (channel and plate), and get enough spare $$ to refill my torch tanks. (I started this long before my ex cleaned out our bank accounts)


some pix-

General Layout









Engine, half a mason steam car engine w/ Stephenson's reverse 2-1/2 bore x 3-5/8 stroke. Yes it's right handed, we'll work around that (mirror image, probably)










Boiler, built to ASME section I part PMB standards. I have all the calcs, material data sheets, weld process sheets, joint test results, etc, etc, and the state STILL doesn't like it..... just because it was built in an ASME certified TRAINING FACILITY, rather than a code shop.










Front Roll, off a Dynapak, just as I got it - the frame will be cut down to a lower profile.


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

Very nice project. My little side project that I started in a college night class about ten years ago is the 1/8th scale vertical boiler, steam roller written up in Live Steam magazine. All parts were drawn in MasterCam and then NC'ed. Just need to be assembled. We built 15 of these! FUN!


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## Mike Reilley (Jan 2, 2008)

Allen....that is one cool steam shovel. Sure does remind me of my Mike Mulligan days.


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## GeorgeMMR (Jan 19, 2008)

Guys, 
If you are considering scratch-building a steam shovel, or other crawler type of modle, look around for an old Ertle 1:24 caterpillar model. Good useable tracks. See my ariticle some years back in the "Narrow Gauge and Shortline Gazette." If you cannot locate the old Ertle model, then look for tracks from a plastic model company. Tamiya, for one, sells track kits and I believe there are other suppliers as well. Good hunting! 
George


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## I&Tmag (Mar 31, 2010)

Mik-
I'm the picture editor at Invention & Technology magazine. We would like to publish one of the images of the Thew steam shovel. Please contact me at [email protected] as soon as possible.
Thank you.


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By I&Tmag on 31 Mar 2010 05:57 PM 
Mik-
I'm the picture editor at Invention & Technology magazine. We would like to publish one of the images of the Thew steam shovel. Please contact me at [email protected] as soon as possible.
Thank you. 


HEY! Love your mag! Great publication!


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

Very cool machine, and great pics! Thanks for posting those. The video was interesting, I was surprised that the sound of it in operation almost sounded like a modern diesel powered machine rather than steam. 

BTW, here's a neat thread from a guy who's building a Marion steam shovel in 1:20.3 scale. It too has traction wheels. You might find some of his construction techniques useful in your build: 

http://www.finescalerr.com/smf/index.php?topic=693.0


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