Our street was hectic and noisy for two months last summer as a storm drainage system was brought up to snuff. Hearing an at times steady vroom-vroom and ding-ding-ding, I wondered about the ...

An Ohio museum explores the history of the Bucyrus-Erie Company's giant coal shovels and surprising uses for coal.

I became captivated by steam shovels as a tiny tot. How could I not after having “Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shove”l by Virginia Lee Burton read to me multiple times. I am sure I was not the only one ...

Starting with the invention of William S. Otis in 1835, the first successful excavating machines were partial-swing steam shovels mounted on flanged wheels for use on railroad track. The boiler and ...

If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in ...