The Classic Machinery Network

Here is a photo of my Ruston Bucyrus 38RB series 2 face shovel that I am currently doing up. Hopefully she will be up and running again in the not too distant future.

Matt.

Fantastic Matt
Please keep us updated on your progress
Any more photos ?
Martyn

Hello Matt,
Great project. Great machine. I look forward with interest to furter posts and photos.
Fred

Martyn, Fred,

Here is another pic. She's a later model fitted with a straight 6-71 Detroit, which had a bit of water in a couple of the cylinders after standing for a good number of years. Hopefully it's nothing that a couple of piston kits won't sort out!

Matt.

She will sound sweet when you get that Gimmy 6-71 up and running
Will be interesting to see more pics as you progress with the restoration work.

Jeremy

Hi Matt,
That 6/71 GM is a nice unit, the 38s I worked on had Paxman V4s.
Good luck with it.
Fred

hello fred .
i moved a 54-rb the other day which had come from tipperary for onward shipment to china i believe and that one had a paxman v6 but she was air start.there is some pictures on here that martyn kindly uploaded.
regards graham.

Was she a dragline or a shovel, Graham?

hello 38rbs11
the 54-rb i moved had been on dragline in tipperary eire,the fairlead was still attached and the drag rope was coiled up in the rear of the machine,it had a paxman v6 fitted and it was air start.it was also fitted with L&W undercarriage.i could not find the serial number on it to say when it was built but i dont think i would be far out if i guessed it was a 1965/1968 build.i actually operated a 54 on face shovel many years ago in a local quarry and that one was fitted with a 5 cyl ruston marine engine i think that variant was called a 5 vcbn but i may not be accurate on that.all 54s had an additional digging lock system ie, free travel in both direction/locked both ways/ locked to rear only/ and locked to forward movement only.
regards graham.

Hello Matt.
That pic of your 38 brings me back twenty five years to when I worked one similar to yours (6/71 powered) and a Dorman powered one before that- the Dorman was a good engine but there's nothing like the sound of a Detroit!