I started exploring New River Gorge National Park today. It is second on my list of things to see in West Virginia after the capitol. The park is really spread out, and there are lots of areas to explore. I did some hiking in the Nuttallburg area today because it features the remains of a coal mining operation, and I love ruins. I hiked from the top to the headhouse. I was originally going to hike down along the trail that somewhat follows the conveyor, but I met some people at the headhouse, who had just hiked up the that trail, and they said do not do it. It is a really difficult trail, and while the park material said as much, somehow their exhausted faces persuaded me more. I then drove to area near the river where the lower part of the mining operation was and hiked around there a little. The area trails are really neat because you can essentially follow the mining operation from the mine entrance to where the coal would have been loaded onto trains.
While the mining operation started in the mine, obviously, the first part you can see is the mine entrance. As I stood in front of the mine, I could feel the air coming out was probably 10 or 20 degrees colder.
Mine Entrance
The coal cars then went to the headhouse where the coal was dumped and loaded onto the conveyor, which brought the coal all the way down the slope to be transferred to trains.
Headhouse where coal was dumped out of the cars from the mine and onto the conveyor. In the lower right, you can see the start of the conveyor.
Inside the headhouse where the coal cars came in
The conveyor was essentially a really long conveyor belt, and it was kind of awesome to stand beneath it.
Conveyor that brought coal from headhouse to tipple
The conveyor ended at the tipple. The tall structure seen on the right was a storage silo for the coal.
Conveyor entering the tipple
Conveyor entering the tipple
The tipple sat on top of train tracks, and the coal was transferred to the trains there.
Tipple where coal was transferred to trains
Under the tipple, standing on the old train tracks where coal was transferred
There are also some remains of coke ovens. These are considered to be the earliest remains of coal operations. Originally the coal converted to coke there.
Coke Ovens