Corgi has announced it will release the Ruston Bucyrus 19 Face Shovel

Corgi has announced the first in a series of 1/76 scale classic construction machines. Available from January 2011, the Ruston Bucyrus 19 Face Shovel in green will be priced at £19.99.

The diecast model is complete with a number of features including detailed rigging, 360 degree rotation and other moving parts to enable to the model to be posed in different working positions.

Ruston Bucyrus Limited was established in 1930. The company was formed by the amalgamation of Ruston and Hornsby Ltd with Bucyrus Erie Company from Ohio who were the principle US manufacturer of excavation machinery of the time. Ruston and Hornsby dated back to 1857 with a history of manufacturing diesel locomotives and steam shovels. The merger with Bucyrus Erie meant Ruston had the finance and specialised knowledge to develop new excavators, whilst giving its American partners a platform in the European markets.

The RB19s were produced from 1937 until 1967, the RB Face Shovel would have been used across various industries including construction, mining and quarrying as well as within the British Railways systems. The key purpose of the face shovel was for the movement of loose aggregates and was used for tasks including loading ballast onto trucks, coal into wagons or assisting in the actual preparation of building of railways.