This model of an O&K (Orenstein and Koppel AG) bucket wheel
excavator is based on pictures of the prototypes that were in
service in the Great Canadian Oil Sands Ltd. project (later named
Suncor) in northern Alberta, Canada. It is reported that each
machine could load a 150-ton truck every 35 seconds with a bucket
wheel diameter of 44 feet. Suncor parked the huge excavators
for good in 1993 and switched to 240-ton trucks, large power
shovels and ore crushers.
The model (Fig. 1) was scaled from photocopies of pictures of the prototype that were found in mining magazines in the 1970's. Since the scaling is based on the height of a man in one of the pictures the proportions of the various components of the model will at best be approximate. As well, the pictures were small and/or unclear so the details of features on the model are a guess. The model is about 6' 5" long, 20" wide and 3' high (not including the mast at the front top of the support boom). The scale is approximately 1:40. At the Toronto Hobby Show in November 2001, it was a hit with the children since bucket wheel excavators had been showcased on the Discovery Channel the week before the show.
Ron Kurtz
For complete building instructions, click here.
For all the figures & diagrams (very large), click here.
Copyright 2009 by CMAMAS.
