Power Miners: The Rock Tunneler

Background: The Power Miners line was my first introduction to LEGO, and thus I hold it in very dear regard. As a kid, my parents couldn’t afford the larger sets, but that only fueled my creativity. I distinctly recall making a smaller version of the titanium command rig's vertical and horizontal function with a gear-built drill because I did not have the specialized molded part.

Description: Here we have the (hopefully) newest addition to the Power Miner’s fleet: Vehicle #18, the Rock Tunneler. Piloted by the newest member of the team, this vehicle has an arm-and-piston-operated rotating drill to break open rock surfaces both in front of and below the cab, with additional pivot at any angle allowed by the piston. With its front push blade and its treads, this vehicle is perfectly suited for the underground world of the Power Miners. Our worker, with pickaxe and dynamite, is ready for anything the caves can throw at her (even those currently hidden rock monsters).