Big, huffing machines. It’s a guy thing.
Machines don’t come much bigger than the Bucyrus Model 50-B steam shovel, a 130,000-pound behemoth that resides at the Nederland Mining Museum.
The museum and its big steamer will be featured on “Mega Movers” (5 p.m. May 16, History Channel). Locals get a preview of the show, which focuses on pulling the Bucyrus out of the mountain muck where it sat for 20 years and moving it to the museum, when the one-hour program is shown as part of the mining museum’s celebration and silent auction at 5:30 p.m. Saturday at the Gilpin County School in Black Hawk.
Dan Martin, one of those behind the rescue of the shovel, built in 1923 and used at a mine near Rollinsville until 1978, said, “It absolutely works,” although on compressed air rather than steam for safety reasons. “This steam shovel will attract history buffs and machinery enthusiasts from all over the country,” said Martin.
Among the items available at the auction: A chance to operate the Bucyrus. What could be cooler than that?
A new day
It’s a new crew at oldies outlet KXKL 105.1-FM. The “old” crew, including Rick “The Coach” Marshall, was dismissed in mid-April.
The new crew, officially dubbed “The Way KOOL Morning Show,” is Dan Mitchell, Kenny Campbell and Melanie Garrett and makes its debut this morning. Vic Lombardi will deliver sports news.
The station also announced that Cha Cha, former afternoon deejay on “Jammin’,” will be on from 2-7 p.m. weekdays.
Randy Jay continues as the midday man and Da Boogieman covers the night shift.
Change of heart
Barry Fey and the local rock critic who said last week that they wouldn’t take part in the KBDI-Channel 12 auction of rock ‘n’ roll memorabilia did.
Both appeared on the auction Sunday after their concerns about the authenticity of the memorabilia were resolved.
“We checked him out, found out he was legitimate,” Fey said of local dealer Hal Grielmann, who supplied the autographed items.
Around the dial
Air America Radio’s Al Franken headlines an evening of bluegrass, jazz and Celtic fiddling featuring fiddlers Chris and Cosima Luther, a benefit for the Rocky Mountain Fiddle Camp Scholarship Fund at The Newman Center May 18. Ticket info at ticketmaster.com. … The Boulder-
based “etown” tapes its 15th-anniversary show, starring James Taylor (his third appearance), at the Paramount Theatre on May 16. … Quotable: “Big machines are the awe-inspiring cathedrals of the 20th century.” Physicist Daniel Kleppner
Dick Kreck’s column appears Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. He may be reached at 303-820-1456 or dkreck@denverpost.com.
