Readers expecting some deep thoughts or clever commentary may have to check in later. Partly out of a desire to relieve the gloom in the daily news, and to give a new perspective on hard work and ingenuity, I'm taking a little break from observations and analysis.

This post is about one thing:

Where I live and work, we don’t often see this sort of thing. I recall a series of Hulett machines used to unload iron ore from lake carrier holds, and I’ve seen some unusual mechanical bridges that are designed lift, or rotate, or cantilever out of the way to make way for river traffic. I watch Modern Marvels pretty frequently, and I've visited deep underground mines and open-pit operations, and I've never seen anything like this.

This “crawler bucket-wheel excavator” is quite simply the most astounding machine I’ve ever seen. (No doubt it was built with a lot of cast parts.) Notice how small the two guys in hard hats near the track appear by contrast.

And, it’s for sale. Richie Bros. Auctioneers are offering this Demag HD800 “to the highest bidder, regardless of price,” at an upcoming unreserved public auction in Fort Worth, TX. Alan McVicker, Ritchie Bros. regional manager, says, "I've never seen such an impressive - or enormous - piece of equipment."

The excavator is taller than a six-storey building and capable of moving 5,940 cubic yards/hour of coal and dirt. The auction house calculates it can move as much material in one day as would fill 44 Olympic-size pools.

The auction will take place December 3-5; the bucket wheel assembly will be sold on Dec. 4. (If you could cut it all up, it would make some good ferrous scrap. I can't comment on the comparative cost.)

Care to inspect the goods? Visit the excavator at the Jewett Coal Mine in Jewett, TX, between Dallas and Houston. (I know, that doesn't really pin it down, but it's Texas. It's BIG!)