Hecla No. 1 Coke Ovens

The Hecla No. 1 Mine and Coke Works, containing 272 ovens, began operation in 1882 by the Hecla Coke Company. In 1906 the H.C. Frick Coke Company acquired operation of the coke works as well Hecla No. 1 and Hecla No. 2/Trauger (see Trauger coke ovens in a previous post). He also acquired the towns of Hecla and Trauger.  That year the three coke works produced over 401,000 tons of coke. Production began to diminish in 1926. Only 11 coke ovens were used at No. 1 and the mine produced less than 30,000 tons of coal. In 1929 Frick abandoned the No. 1 Mine and Coke Works.

These ovens are pretty hard to get to.  They're very much grown in and most are completely buried. It is a nice sized block of ovens though.

Beginning (or ending) of the block.

The enormous slate dump. I would imagine this was shared by both the No. 1 and No. 3 mines.

Two old Monongahela Railroad stone arch bridges outside of Brownsville.

This is the first of the bridges. If you cross this bridge over Dunlap Creek and follow the old rail line it takes you to the other one (eventually).

An old sealed mine portal we came across.

Inside of the mine portal.

This is the second bridge. The Century Coke Works ovens are  around here somewhere but as you can see everything is all grown in. We were unable to find them.

 

Altoona, PA. Nickel Plate Road No. 765 Steam Engine 5/18/2013

Altoona, PA. Nickel Plate Road No. 765 Steam Engine 5/18/2013

These photo's were taken outside of the Altoona Railroaders Memorial Museum. The train was running a trip around Horseshoe Curve and back for the employees of Norfolk Southern Railroad and their families.

The train approaching.

Lots of smoke! Getting ready to pull out of the platform.

Passing under the bridge I was standing on.

Sitting picking up the passengers.

This Pennsylvania Railroad diesel was pushing the train. On the way back from Horseshoe Curve this engine was leading.

This caboose is parked outside of the museum.

Inside the caboose. Very roomy. A lot bigger than it looks from the outside.

This 1955 EMD GP9 is sitting along Horseshoe Curve. It replaced a steam locomotive in 1986.