Uploaded October 2021 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Deep within Pennsylvania's anthracite coal country, clinging to a hillside overlooking the town of Ashland, the Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine has been giving guests tours of a real late 19th/early 20th century coal mine since 1961. In the fall of 2021 I made a brief visit in the middle of a chase of Reading & Northern 425 as it was nearby and I didn't want to deal with traffic in Jim Thorpe. I'm glad I did, the mine tour was a fascinating and exciting experience - and as a bonus, rides are also offered behind 0-4-0T number 1 "The Henry Clay," a 1927 Vulcan product that originally worked for Lehigh Valley Coal as their number 123. Interestingly the half-mile rail line is built to 42" or 3.5' gauge, common in Southern Africa and Oceania but rare in North America.
Deep within Pennsylvania's anthracite coal country, clinging to a hillside overlooking the town of Ashland, the Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine has been giving guests tours of a real late 19th/early 20th century coal mine since 1961. In the fall of 2021 I made a brief visit in the middle of a chase of Reading & Northern 425 as it was nearby and I didn't want to deal with traffic in Jim Thorpe. I'm glad I did, the mine tour was a fascinating and exciting experience - and as a bonus, rides are also offered behind 0-4-0T number 1 "The Henry Clay," a 1927 Vulcan product that originally worked for Lehigh Valley Coal as their number 123. Interestingly the half-mile rail line is built to 42" or 3.5' gauge, common in Southern Africa and Oceania but rare in North America.
