The Bucyrus-Erie 2570-W, equipped with a 335ft boom, maximum operating radius of 300ft and a 115 CY bucket with a 335,000-pound payload, will move 24 hours, seven days a week at about one-tenth of a mile per hour as it is walked from Sullivan County to Bear Run’s home in Dugger.

The machine will perform its walk on two “shoes” measuring 72ft in length by 14ft in width, and cross two state highways and other roadways during its trip.

A crew of about 20 staff will accompany the dragline, including machine operators, maintenance personnel and electricians, the last of which will oversee the 22,900-volt cabling that powers the unit.

Peabody said the Indiana Department of Transportation is assisting with the move by temporarily closing highways.

Protective material such as shale, clay, straw and plastic will be placed at each highway crossing to protect the roadway from the weight of the machine.

Once at its destination at Bear Run, set to be the largest surface operation in the eastern United States, the dragline will be immediately put into operation.

The mine, which has a capacity of 8 million tons per year, is planning two draglines for rock and coal removal initially.

"Bear Run employs more than 350 skilled workers and annually contributes approximately $US140 million in direct economic benefits into the regional economy,” Peabody Energy chief operating officer Eric Ford said, adding that the mine’s annual payroll is expected to exceed $50 million.

Peabody began shipping coal from Bear Run in May. Officials said in July that the mine’s sales are expected to average 3.0-3.5Mt in 2010 before ramping up to 8Mt by 2012.