The bucket excavator has been a tourist attraction of Kleczew (Konin county) for several years and has become a kind of symbol of the city. The 300-ton colossus has not been working in the mine for 12 years, but its phenomenon is that it can be brought back to work at any time. And it was with such an offer that the Colombians addressed the authorities of Kleczew, who proposed the purchase of a huge excavator. Will the city agree to this million-dollar offer?
Anyone who has visited Kleczew at least once or was just passing through has certainly seen a huge bucket excavator, which has become a tourist attraction of the city. It is impossible to overlook this 300-ton colossus, which stands near the roundabout at the exit towards Wilczyn or Ślesin. It is hard for the inhabitants of Kleczew to imagine that it could disappear from the city landscape. As the mayor of Kleczew, Mariusz Musiałowski, told Radio SuperNova in an interview, an offer to purchase an excavator by the Colombians appeared. They offer PLN 2 million.
– This is indeed a very advantageous offer, but we are unlikely to take advantage of it. Not everything is for sale. We treat it simply as a monument, as part of our cultural heritage. It is a symbol of this region. Coal has been mined here for decades. The last ton will leave the mine in the first quarter of next year, he explained.
Aged but still working
The machine, although it was taken out of service in 2010, and stood at the entrance to Kleczew a few years later, is in very good condition and could still be used for operation. – This is the phenomenon of this machine that it can be dismantled, transported to any place and it will continue to function. Of course, this would require some financial outlays. However, due to the fact that this device used to work, it is possible to restore it to use – admitted mayor Musiałowski.
As we managed to find out, the excavator would go to a Colombian mine. Potential investors, however, will have to make do with the taste. The excavator stays in Kleczew for now.
An unusual tourist attraction
The SchRs 315 excavator was built in 1964 in East Germany and a year later it went to the Kazimierz Południe open pit near Konin. The machine is 34.5 m long and 15 m high, and weighs 333 tons. It worked for 45 years and although it is not a speed demon – it covers only 8 m in a minute, during this time it extracted about 57 million tons of coal. She ended her service at the Kazimierz Północ open pit. When the excavator came to Kleczew, it was immediately decided that it would become an unusual tourist attraction. The area around the machine was fenced, there were benches and boards informing about its history.