Inside peek at “The Story of JCB”

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A definite perk of this job is the inside look you get in many construction equipment firms. That was definitely true during a recent visit to JCB’s headquarters in Rocester, England. In addition to exciting news about its Ecomax engine now in its backhoes, excavators and telehandlers, JCB gave U.S. editors a private tour of its new 27,000-square-foot “The Story of JCB” museum.

The museum chronicles the company’s history, starting with the blacksmithing Bamford family in the 1820s. Ten of the several landmark exhibit machines had to craned through the roof during construction, including a restored 1962 JCB 3 backhoe. A skeletal model of a JCB JS200 excavator built out of steel rod weighs about 4,400 pounds — a tenth of what the actual machine would weigh.

Check out the JCB website for limited public viewing opportunities.