HISTORY OF STEAM SHOVELS

This series focuses on steam shovels produced by the manufacturers covered. Some phased out steam in favour of diesel, petrol or electricity to power their excavators and prospered in later years, but those who chose to remain with steam had disappeared by the end of the 1920s.

ALLIS-CHALMERS

It’s not widely known that the famous tractor builder Allis-Chalmers was a major manufacturing force in the early years of the 20th century. A 1905 catalogue lists over 160 different products including air compressors, rock crushers, dredges, pumps, rolling mills, turbines, AC and DC electric motors, transformers mine hoists, several types of engines including Corliss, and steam shovels. Also machinery for cement manufacture, underground mining, flour mills, sugar manufacturing, logging and saw mills. Sales offices were established in 24 principal cities across the United States, six across Canada and in ten overseas locations including London.

The Allis-Chalmers (A-C) steam shovel was the railroad type and built to designs of engineer