MORE TRACKS in MINES!

Kiwi#1 · **Posted:** Tue May 14, 2013 6:14 am

From my '09 trip: Colorado.

Chris
in New Zealand

Miner Dave · **Posted:** Tue May 14, 2013 12:57 pm

fredmcain · **Posted:** Tue May 14, 2013 1:04 pm

Yes, Chris. Beyond awesome!! It also looked to me like that mine had electricity, too at one time.

Any chance it might ever reopen? And, if they did, would they still use the tracks?

REgards,
Fred M. Cain

Kiwi#1 · **Posted:** Thu May 16, 2013 4:27 am

Fred, the mine with the rails recently removed is just downstream from the Phoenix Mine tour that still uses rail, the owners rehab'ing another old mine drive adjacent to the tour mine and using rail and a compressed air loco. As to "if" that reopening, well if someone ran up the claim on on it who knows.

Chris
in New Zealand

Kiwi#1 · **Posted:** Thu May 16, 2013 4:45 am

These views from the Molly Kathleen mine tour out of Cripple Creek, Colorado. Well worth a visit. Depending on which tour guide you get telling the "story" you go down either 1000ft or 1800ft in a two-deck man cage and then ride a compressed air powered Mine train.

Chris
in New Zealand

fredmcain · **Posted:** Mon May 20, 2013 12:22 pm

Chris,

Thanks again for this and the added pictures! My brother in law went down into the Molly Kathleen a few years ago while on a vacation in Colorado. A few weeks ago I specifically asked him about a train ride and he said there was no train ride. I don't know if that's something they don't do on every tour or what but if *I* had been along I would've been incensed! *WHAT?* No train ride? What a rip-off! ! ! !

Any way both the Molly Kathleen and the Phoenix mine are on my "to do" list - if I can ever manage to get out west again!

Regards,
Fred M. cain

Miner Dave · **Posted:** Mon May 20, 2013 1:00 pm

Hey Fred, if you are interested in the techniques of track-laying, I suggest that you check out "Sky of Stone" by Homer Hickam. He is the same man who wrote Rocket Boys (A.K.A. October Sky). It is a sequel. In it, he gives an insight into the operation of the Coalwood mine, and the track laying process.

On another note, I was walking an abandoned railbed, and one of the rails beside the track (it is in the process of being turned into a rail-trail) was marked BSCo-L. I can't find a reference to it anywhere. can anyone help? The rail is stamped 1934, but the tie has a date nail with '45 on it. I'm guessing that the rail was relaid froma different location when the track was downgraded. It used to be a C&NW branch to a couple gravel pits, with quite a few trains weekly, but the depression closed down some, so the branch was closed around 1960. An old engineer (since passed), who was a friend of the family, told me about a good sized derailment around 1944-45. He said that the ties spread, and some of the rails were unsalvageable. He would have known since he was the engineer that day. He had a 4-8-0 on the point, and that was because the mogul that usually handled the runs was in for boiler work.

johnr · **Posted:** Mon May 20, 2013 6:09 pm

Mike P would know exactly, but I'm quite sure that means Bethlehem Steel Company. The L can be the plant location, or a type of rail, not sure what the L is for. Just my guess anyway.

Miner Dave · **Posted:** Mon May 20, 2013 6:24 pm

Ok, cool.

Kiwi#1 · **Posted:** Mon May 20, 2013 7:21 pm

Fred,
the Mollie Kathleen didn't have a ride on the tour back in '96 when I first went underground. I had seen and photographed the Tipple back in '82 on my first visit to the USA but did not take the tour then and regretted it so I just had to return "one day". The '96 tourguide would not allow photography nor video either which really got up my left nostril. Fortunately they have relaxed that restriction. The 2009 visit had the guide relating how they mined a whole new crosscut to allow a complete circle without doubling back and incorporate the minetram ride. The tram airmotor is given a recharge at end of the ride and sent back driverless to return to the starting point for the next group( it stops by a protruding arm tripping the valve lever.) I don't remember the year he said that they did the expansion.

They also have a lot more displays now unlike back in '96 such as demonstrating operation of a mucker, jackleg and a winze. You even get to have a short spin on a railcycle if you want.

Chris
in New Zealand

fredmcain · **Posted:** Tue May 21, 2013 3:53 pm

Kiwi#1 wrote:

Fred,
the Mollie Kathleen didn't have a ride on the tour back in '96 when I first went underground.
Chris
in New Zealand

Chris,

I didn't think to ask when my brother-in-law had his tour. It could've been well before 1996, I don't know. I'll ask him the next time I see him.

He did tell me that he got real scared riding on the cage. He didn't think he'd ever do it again. It's funny how I know so many people who can work up high on buildings and stuff and not be the least bit bothered by heights but cannot stomach going underground. I don't get it. I'm the exact opposite. As long as I stay off a ladder, I wouldn't be the least bit bothered by going underground.

Maybe someday I'll get lucky and get to see the 1,100-foot level of the Sixteen To One Mine!

Regards,
Fred M. Cain

UGMiner Banks · **Posted:** Tue May 21, 2013 8:17 pm

the Molly K is actually hands down the best mine tour i've been on... even though im obviously partial to coal. They run all the equipment inside and have some really sweet displays. really well done. was out there last summer... and yes, we rode the trip inside from one section to another.

couple pics (from OVCC)

mine "bike"

Miner Dave · **Posted:** Tue May 21, 2013 10:19 pm

What is the piece of equipment in the second picture?

UGMiner Banks · **Posted:** Wed May 22, 2013 12:07 am

Compressed air locomotive... a train buff should know that!

Kiwi#1 · **Posted:** Wed May 22, 2013 4:03 am

The Cage is 6 man per each of the double deck. It sure was cosy in there I tell you but I wouldn't say scary. The guides were nice and tight, didn't hunt around much.
I'd do that tour again if I ever was back over there.
The compressed air motor looks more like an Eimco to me, the other builder was Tramaire.

Chris
in New Zealand

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