British Classic 22-RB Spotted

Last week we were doing some filming within the grounds of the Midland Plant Training facility in Brownhill near Cannock, where after we were finished, I took the opportunity to have a look around an ageing Ruston Bucyrus 22-RB.

The first 22-RB’s rolled off the production line in Lincoln in 1950 and were without doubt Ruston Bucyrus’s most successful and popular models of all time and sold by the bucketload in various guises including crane, dragline, skimmer, rope excavator and faceshovel, its estimated that by the time production came to an end the company had sold well over 10,200 of the venerable old machines.         

Many of these machines are still working around the globe, a real testament to their durability and long-lasting quality. According to the owner of Midland Plant Training, Colin Ecclestone, this example stands for much of its life, but it starts on the button with a fully charged battery and is still more than capable of putting in a shift.

Colin also told me about another older Ruston Bucyrus example which is residing on the premises and has become overgrown.

It is said that this machine is a 14-RB or possibly a 19-RB but it’s unknown if it’s a runner or not, I suspect it’s not.

It would be nice to see these machines restored for the future or maybe even end up at the Vintage Excavator Trust in Threlkeld, Cumbria.

Checkout this video from our friends at Awesome Earthmovers featuring a more modern example the 22-RB ICD (Improved Crane Dragline) being put to work at the Vintage Excavator Trust.