I was fortunate enough to see the GEM in action in the late '70s near New Athens Ohio. We were able to actually drive right up to the work site and watch it while sitting in the car! We did stop in at the office first and they not only gave me permission but also some photos and literature about the GEM. Different times then. What a fun memory. It was awesome to watch! Long live the GEM, Mountaineer and Silver Spade in our memories. For those who might not know, GEM stood for Giant Earth Mover. Its full name was the GEM of Egypt because of where it was used in the Egypt Valley in Ohio.
I saw the GEM of Egypt working south of Cadiz back sometime in the mid-80s. Have still pictures, but I haven't been able to find them. I then saw the Silver Spade working near New Athens in the early 2000s before her demise. I worked with the group trying (unsuccessfully) to save the Big Muskie in 98 and 99.
I grew up near all these beautiful machines, I use to see the mountaineer everyday, in 85 or 86 we got inside it was awesome very interesting things inside, climbed every inch of it. Also the 550 in henrysburg. Spent many hours watching the spade and gem, miss seeing those beasts.
Damn, Mountaineer is gone? Stuart Koblentz's 2007 book on Marion County says that at that time it was retired but still standing outside Cadiz--was hoping to take my two-year-old construction-machine-obsessed son to see it :(
I was fortunate enough to see the GEM in action in the late '70s near New Athens Ohio. We were able to actually drive right up to the work site and watch it while sitting in the car! We did stop in at the office first and they not only gave me permission but also some photos and literature about the GEM. Different times then. What a fun memory. It was awesome to watch! Long live the GEM, Mountaineer and Silver Spade in our memories. For those who might not know, GEM stood for Giant Earth Mover. Its full name was the GEM of Egypt because of where it was used in the Egypt Valley in Ohio.
I saw the GEM of Egypt working south of Cadiz back sometime in the mid-80s. Have still pictures, but I haven't been able to find them. I then saw the Silver Spade working near New Athens in the early 2000s before her demise. I worked with the group trying (unsuccessfully) to save the Big Muskie in 98 and 99.
I grew up near all these beautiful machines, I use to see the mountaineer everyday, in 85 or 86 we got inside it was awesome very interesting things inside, climbed every inch of it. Also the 550 in henrysburg. Spent many hours watching the spade and gem, miss seeing those beasts.
Damn, Mountaineer is gone? Stuart Koblentz's 2007 book on Marion County says that at that time it was retired but still standing outside Cadiz--was hoping to take my two-year-old construction-machine-obsessed son to see it :(
This was great. The old color scheme looked alot cleaner.
The April 2001 Silver Spade crossing on 519 just west of New Athens