The
shining a light on Mining HistorY
by Pioneer Tunnel Staff
2022 is an important year for the Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine & Steam Train, located at 19th & Oak Streets in Ashland, Pennsylvania, as the beloved attraction celebrates its 60th anniversary. One of the region’s premier tourist attractions, the Pioneer Tunnel & Steam Train offers two unique, family-friendly tours. The first is a tour of a real anthracite coal mine, and the other is a ride on an old-fashioned steam locomotive along Mahanoy Mountain. Both tours are guided. Visitors taking the coal mine tour get a real feel for what it was like to work in the coal mines while riding in the complete safety of an open mine car pulled by a battery- operatedminemotor. Themine runs 1,800 feet intotheside of Mahanoy Mountain. During the tour, a knowledgeable guide relays the fascinating story of anthracite deep coal mining. The daily operation of mine tours helps preserve a tangible piece of the area’s history. It also gives visitors of all ages a better understanding of the difficult conditions faced by past generations of underground miners. During its time as an operational mine, the Pioneer Tunnel produced a daily average of 400 tons of coal. It now stands as a monument to those who engaged in the tedious, often dangerous, task of coal mining. Pioneer Tunnel is classified as a drift mine, which means the mine’s shaft has been driven horizontally into the mountainside to access the ore seam. The mine was owned and operated by the Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company from 1911 to 1931, at which time it was abandoned. Eventually,
the tunnel was dug out, retimbered, and restored in advance of its grand re-opening in 1962 – this time solely as a tourism attraction. To ensure the continued safety of the mine for visitors, the tunnel is inspected daily by the mine foreman. It is also inspected periodically by state mine inspectors. The temperature inside the mine is consistently around 48-52 degrees, soasweateror jacket is recommended for visitors. The mine tour lasts approximately 30 minutes. There are maps, charts and exhibits on display inside the mine that help visitors visualize the mining operation. Guides will also point out gangways and a vein of coal, along with other points of interest inside the mine.
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