A steam shovel is a large steam-powered excavating machine designed for lifting and moving material such as rock and soil. It is the earliest type of power shovel or excavator. They played a major role in public works in the 19th and early 20th century, being key to the construction of railroads and the Panama Canal. The development of simpler, cheaper diesel-powered shovels caused steam shovels to fall out of use in the 1930s.
Read more about Steam Shovel: Origins and Development, History (US), Preservation, Operation, In Fiction, Exceptional Historic Uses
Famous quotes containing the word steam:
“Blotting the sun
Stinging the eyes.
The hot seeds steam underground
still alive.”
—Gary Snyder (b. 1930)
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