A full‑sized JCB digger dressed up like a collector’s 1:32 scale model, stole a few hearts on Valentine’s Day – and stopped Londoners in their tracks outside an iconic railway station last Friday.
The ‘JCB Backhoe in a Box’ drew huge crowds when it was first unveiled at the digger maker’s World HQ in Rocester, Staffordshire. A full-sized digger presented as though it were a scale model – has been carefully dismantled in Staffordshire and transported south, before being lovingly reassembled and unveiled on Valentine’s Day outside King’s Cross railway station.
The machine will be on display for a full week from February 14th, giving commuters and visitors the perfect spot for a memorable photo.
Its appearance in London marks the start of a UK-wide tour, celebrating both JCB innovation and the enduring appeal of one of Britain’s best‑known machines – invented by JCB in 1953.
The next stop will be the Cheltenham Festival in March.
Standing nearly 15 feet high and more than 20 feet across in its special packaging, the life‑size display is impossible to miss. Visitors to King’s Cross can enjoy the exhibit day or night, with the installation illuminated after dark to ensure the magic continues long after the evening commute.
JCB Worldwide Events Manager Alice Taylor has helped oversee the installation. She said: “King’s Cross is always buzzing, but this installation brings something truly unique to the area. It’s fantastic to engineer some romance in London by unveiling the Backhoe in a Box in London on Valentine’s Day.”
