Strip mining in the Anthracite Coal Region has been practiced since the early 1800's. The earliest method of strip mining used by miners was to simply dig into "out-cropped" coal seams by hand and to haul the coal away in wagons and wheelbarrows.
This method gave way later to the use of rail-traveling, steam-powered, mechanical "steam shovels." These shovels were used to initially obtain the harder to reach coal and to improve efficiency. To reach even deeper coal, the early coal companies started to dig open pits in some locations. These pits were somewhat similar to those used to obtain iron ore. Where the coal seams were reached by starting a circular open pit which gradually spiraled down into the earth removing coal and overburden as the pit progressed.
The early equipment was just not large or mobile enough to efficiently remove the tremendous amount of material required to reach deeper seams of coal. Because automotive technology had not progressed enough yet to develop trucks capable of hauling these marterials, it was necessary to build a small railroad everywhere the machinery operated to not only propel the shovel, but to remove both coal and overburden as well. These early methods were only effective if there were large amounts of coal reaching up to the earth's surface. Thus, Strip Mining was not going to replace Deep Mining as the preferred method of mining anytime soon.
However, as technology progressed the equipment improved as well. Rail-traveling, steam-powered, mechanical "steam shovels" were soon replaced by track driven models improving mobility. In addition the introduction of the internal combustion engine made more improvements in mobility and the development of early dump trucks. But this equipment was still limited because of the geologic nature of the Anthracite Coal Seams. These seams (for the most part) were just too thin, deep and spread out to effectively reach with a power shovel which is best suited to the circular or continuos pit method of "ore" strip mining.
Deep mining continued to be the method of choice in the area until the development of the "Dragline" type shovels. Since their implementation in the 1930's and 40's the draglines had become larger, more powerful and more mobile than anything used before. Coal mining companies started using them to improve their reach more and more by digging repetitive, gradually deeper, long "cuts" on coal seams. No more would the dangerous and labor intensive deep mines be able to compete with these behemouths. In fact, the aftermath of a Hurricane in the 1950's resulted in many, many of these deep mines shutting down operations forever.
While the demand for Anthracite coal has dwindled in the years since the great boom of the early 1900's, it was still a much in demand fuel source into the 1960's and 70's. This resulted in the Jeddo-Highland Coal Company making investments to purchase the 2 largest of Anthracite Region draglines. One was so unique it was even christened with a name--The Anthracite King!
These units were large enough to even change the method of mining. Instead of digging repetitive, gradually deeper, long "cuts" on coal seams, these units were used to do a "bottom job." Which is when everything comes out from one end of a coal seam to another, gradually progressing along the entire field. In fact, the largest shovel (the red & white one) started digging at the edge of a coal field where it was assembled new and has been progressing Eastward in the same pit for over 30 years!
Click here to return to top of page
Click here to go to the thumbnail picture page for views of these dragline shovels and more!