Steam Shovels | Antique Steam Industrial Excavators At Work 2023

#steamshovel #steampunk #steampower A steam shovel is a powerful excavating machine that uses steam power to lift and move material such as rock and soil. It is considered the earliest type of power shovel or excavator and played a significant role in public works in the 19th and early 20th century. The steam shovel was invented in the mid-1800s and quickly gained popularity due to its efficiency and power. By the 1870s, steam shovels were commonly used in railroad construction, helping to excavate tunnels, cut through mountains, and lay track. They were also used extensively in the construction of canals, such as the Panama Canal, where they played a crucial role in digging the massive trenches necessary for the project. Steam shovels were massive machines, often weighing several tons and measuring up to 100 feet in length. They were powered by large, coal-fired boilers that generated steam to power the shovel’s hydraulic system. The shovel arm was operated by a crew of skilled worker