Big Brutus will mark its 60th birthday on Friday and Saturday

Big Brutus, an enormous electric coal shovel that’s become a side trip for Route 66 travelers in Kansas, will be part of a 60th birthday celebration on Friday and Saturday this week. Big Brutus is located at 6509 NW 60th St. in West Mineral, Kansas, about 30 miles from the Route 66 town of Riverton. The Joplin … Continue reading Big Brutus will mark its 60th birthday on Friday and Saturday

Markley Shovel, a predecessor to Big Brutus, is dedicated

A century-old coal-mining shovel that served as a much-smaller predecessor of the Big Brutus shovel was dedicated Saturday at the Big Brutus Visitors Center in West Mineral, Kansas. According to an Associated Press article, Perry Markley designed and built by hand the smaller shovel in the early 1900s using junkyard parts. The machine was one … Continue reading Markley Shovel, a predecessor to Big Brutus, is dedicated

Big Brutus named to National Register of Historic Places

Big Brutus, a gigantic electric coal shovel that's become a side trip for Route 66 travelers in Kansas, was designated to the National Register of Historic Places. According to an email from the National Park Service, the designation became effective Jan. 5. Big Brutus sits at 6509 NW 60th St. in West Mineral, Kansas, about … Continue reading Big Brutus named to National Register of Historic Places