Atlas Coal Mine

The Atlas Coal Mine National Historic Site is a former coal mine in Alberta, Canada. Located in East Coulee, it is considered to be Canada's most complete historic coal mine and is home to the country's last standing wooden coal tipple. It was designated an Alberta Provincial Historic Resource in 1989 and a National Historic Site of Canada in 2002.

History

The sub-bituminous coal from the Drumheller mining district was mainly used for home heating, cooking and electrical generation. It was also be 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.^[1]

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.

Tourism

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.^[2]

References

External links

• Atlas Coal Mine National Historic Site
• Atlas Coal Mine
• Travel Drumheller: Atlas Coal Mine
• Atlas Coal Mine's YouTube Channel

Protected areas in Alberta
World Heritage Sites	Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks Dinosaur Provincial Park Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park Wood Buffalo National Park
National parks	Banff Elk Island Jasper Waterton Lakes Wood Buffalo
Provincial parks, wildlands & wildernesses	Canmore Nordic Centre Cypress Hills Dry Island Buffalo Jump Fish Creek Hay-Zama Lakes Kananaskis Country Lakeland Vermilion Willmore Wilderness Writing-on-Stone more...
Urban parks	Calgary Zoo Devonian Gardens Edmonton Valley Zoo Edworthy Park Mill Woods Park Muttart Conservatory North Saskatchewan River Valley Nose Hill Oldman River Valley Pearce Estate Wetland
Museums & historic sites	Alberta Central Railway Museum Atlas Coal Mine Canadian Grain Elevator Discovery Center Canadian Tractor Museum Cold Lake Air Force Ellis Bird Farm Fort Calgary Fort Edmonton Park Fort Victoria Fort Whoop-Up Frank Slide Galt Historic Railway Park Heritage Acres Farm Museum Heritage Park Krause Milling Co. Pioneer Acres Prairie Elevator Museum Remington Carriage Museum Reynolds-Alberta Royal Alberta Royal Tyrrell Scandia Eastern Irrigation District Museum South Peace Centennial Museum Spruce Grove Grain Elevator Museum St. Albert Grain Elevator Park Ukrainian Village Warner elevator row Whyte National historic sites Provincial historic sites

Coordinates: 51°19′43″N 112°28′57″W / 51.32863°N 112.48251°W / 51.32863; -112.48251 (Atlas Coal Mine)