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Atlas Coal Mine

Coordinates: 51°19′43″N 112°28′57″W / 51.32863°N 112.48251°W / 51.32863; -112.48251 (Atlas Coal Mine)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Atlas Coal Mine
Location
Atlas Coal Mine is located in Alberta
Atlas Coal Mine
Atlas Coal Mine
Atlas Coal Mine is located in Canada
Atlas Coal Mine
Atlas Coal Mine
LocationEast Coulee
ProvinceAlberta
CountryCanada
Coordinates51°19′43″N 112°28′57″W / 51.32863°N 112.48251°W / 51.32863; -112.48251 (Atlas Coal Mine)
Production
ProductsCoal
History
Opened1911
Closed1984
Tipple and main ore conveyor
TypeHistory Museum
Nearest cityDrumheller
Built1937
Visitors (in 35,000+)
Governing bodyAtlas Coal Mine Historical Society
WebsiteAtlas Coal Mine site
Designated2002

The Atlas Coal Mine National Historic Site is an inactive coal mine in Alberta, Canada that operated from 1936 to 1979. Located in East Coulee near Drumheller, it is considered to be Canada's most complete historic coal mine and is home to the country's last standing wooden coal tipple, and the largest still standing in North America.[1] It was designated an Alberta Provincial Historic Resource in 1989 and a National Historic Site of Canada in 2002.

History

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The sub-bituminous coal from the Drumheller mining district was mainly used for home heating, cooking and electrical generation. It was also used to power the steam locomotives of the Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Railways on the prairies. The flat-lying seams were easier to mine than those found in more mountainous areas, with lower levels of methane gas. The coal-mining era lasted from 1911 to 1984, when the Atlas No. 3 and 4 mines closed. The Atlas No. 3 Mine structures are preserved and form the basis of the National Historic Site, administered by the Atlas Mine Historical Society.[2]

The mine features the last wooden coal tipple in Canada. Built in 1937, the tipple is a coal loading and sorting machine. At over 7 storeys tall the tipple now serves as a reminder of the rich mining history of the Drumheller Valley. Old mining equipment, including a working pre-1936 battery powered locomotive and several buildings including the wash house, supply house, lamp house, and mine office still stand at the site. The site preserves the stories and artifacts of the men who once mined the black. The Atlas is the last of 139 mines that once ruled the valley.

Thirteen people died during the mine's operation. Four died on one day, June 24, 1941, when a gas explosion killed three, and a fourth died in a vain attempt to rescue them.[1]

Tourism

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The facilities are open to visitors from May to Thanksgiving weekend. Guided tours take visitors into the past with a ride on the locomotive (dubbed Linda) and a walk up the tipple. Since 2009, the Atlas has conducted tours of the 210 foot underground conveyor tunnel and the recently restored Blacksmith Shop.[3]

References

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  1. ^ a b Litschel, King Coal, p. 38
  2. ^ "Mine History". Atlas Coal Mine National Historic Site. Archived from the original on 23 August 2010. Retrieved 9 June 2010.
  3. ^ "Visitor Information". Atlas Coal Mine National Historic Site. Archived from the original on 23 August 2010. Retrieved 9 June 2010.
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