| Location: | Ashland From I-80 take I-81 to exit 36 West (Frackville), then take PA Route 61 North to Ashland. From I-78 take PA Rt. 61 N. to Ashland. |
| Open: |
APR daily 11, 12:30, 14. MAY Mon-Fri 11, 12:30, 14, Sat, Sun, Hol 10-17:30 (last tour). Memorial Day to Labor Day daily 10-17:30 (last tour). SEP to OCT Mon-Fri 11, 12:30, 14, Sat, Sun, Hol 10-17:30 (last tour). Closed Easter Weekend. [2006] |
| Fee: |
Adults USD 8, Children (2-11) USD 5.50. School Groups: grades 1-6 USD 4.25, grades 7-college USD 5.75. [2006] |
| Classification: |
 Coal Mine
|
| Light: | electric. |
| Dimension: | |
| Guided tours: | L=550m, D=35min. |
| Bibliography: | |
| Address: | Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine, 19th & Oak Sts., Ashland, PA 17921, Tel: +1-570-875-3850, Fax: +1-570-875-3301. |
| Last update: | $ Date: 2006/05/02 21:55:03 $ |
| ~1800 | mine discovered when a campfire ignited an outcropping of hard coal. | |
| 1911 | Pioneer operated by the Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company. | |
| 1931 | mine closed. | |
| 1963 | reopened as a tourist mine. |
Pioneer Tunnel is entered riding a genuine mining car pulled by an electric mine motor, which was altered to carry passengers. After 550m the train reaches an underground train station, where the main tour starts. The guides are former coal miners, who are able to explain the historic coal mining as well as the modern mining techniques.
Pioneer Tunnel was built as an drainage tunnel. This was necessary as the high ground water level filled the first opencast mines after only 10 to 15m. But when a tunnel was built from below, from a ravine or the foot of a hill straight into the mountain, the tunnel served not only as access to the mine but also drained the water downhill.
Another sight of the Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine is the Mammoth Stripping. In this opencast mine the Mammoth vein, the most productive coal layer was mined with monstrous steam-driven shovels. This remains as a 50m high man-carved wall of solid rock. This place is reached by train, the narrow-gauge railroad Henry Clay. It is a 30-minute ride around the side of Mahanoy Mountain in brightly colored mine cars with a red caboose and pulled by a steam locomotive.
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