Pioneer Tunnel was an anthracite coal mine located in Ashland Pennsylvania. Central Pennsylvania was full of coal mines during the early part of the 20th century all because Necho Allen's campfire ignited a huge coal seem in the Ashland area. Miners soon realized that they could get more coal if they drilled into the side of the mountain instead of drilling down and having the mines fill with water. The mine ceased operations in 1931 only to be brought back to life again in 1963 to give visitors the chance to see what mining was all about.
Pioneer Tunnel is an example of a horizontal drift mine. The tunnel goes for about 1800 feet into the side of Mahanoy Mountain. This trip back in the days before electricity was powered by mules but now the tourists ride in restored mine cars pushed by a battery operated locomotive. Once the train reaches the end of the track in the mountain, the visitors go on a guided tour of the mine. It is interesting to see how the miners worked and to see the conditions they worked in. They worked much of their shifts in complete darkness and had to do their job mostly by feel.
The Henry Clay is an 0-4-0 lokie engine built by Vulcan in 1927. This narrow gauge engine takes visitors on a 3/4 mile trip to another example of mining called strip mining. The end of the line gives a view of the Mammoth Stripping area. The Mammoth Vein is an outcropping of coal that was mined using steam shovels and then the coal was taken away using the narrow gauge railroad. The train is made up of restored mining cars, it is an interesting feeling to ride in these cars because they don't have any springs. The train makes a stop to look over the town of Ashland. Just on the other side of the mountain is the town of Centralia. Centralia is famous because the ground under it is on fire. A coal vein underneath the town was accidentally set on fire decades ago and all attempts to extinguish the fire have failed so the ground continues to burn.
Click here to see Pioneer Tunnel from above on Terraserver. The ticket office and gift shop are pretty much in the center, and the engine house is off to the right a bit. The line Henry Clay runs on goes off to the right.
