The year 2018 marked 70 years since Oddball, as we know her, left the factory. She was at that time given the name Clinchfield, the name Oddball came later, after she came to work in Britain and the electrical supply here did not quite suit her electrical system. This caused her to make unusual sounds, which did not happen to other Draglines imported at the same time as they had a different system. She was then referred to as the Oddball one and the name stuck.

After working hard in America, she came to Britain and worked in Wales and the West Midlands before ending her working life at St Aidans. All the other large Walking Dragline Excavators that had worked in Britain were either scrapped or sent to other countries. It was only through the generosity of the late Richard John Budge that Oddball was spared a similar fate and has been preserved for the public to visit and learn about.

The Friends of the Dragline feel very privileged that they are able to care for this amazing machine and show the visitors round on Open Days. A Walking Dragline can really only be fully appreciated by making a visit and standing alongside. We had hoped that in the Dragline’s special anniversary year, as many people as possible would make the journey to St Aidans and celebrate with us on one of our Open Days. We were not disappointed, visitor numbers showed an increase on the previous year!