MTR Montour #4

Montour # 4

The Montour No. 4 mine sat on the McMurry Syncline, where the coal seam was at 700' to 740' MSL, dipping upward to the northeast. The original mine was located along the creek below Lawrence and was about 100' deep. The Hills shaft accessed the coal down dip toward the southwest and was about 140' deep. The aerial photo shows the Hills Shaft before they began hauling waste out of it. It was just a load out for the Montour, as there were no facilities for the miners there.

Click on the images to get a high resolution view.

No. 4 as it appeared in 1956

This is a 1939 aerial view showing the relationship between Montour No. 4 and Thompsonville Siding. The Montour main track curves off to the left in the upper part of the photo and the Hills Interchange with the PRR's Chartiers Branch goes off to the right. At this time, the Lawrence shaft and production facilities for No. 4 mine were still active and the center of activity.

Flooding eventually terminated operations at No. 4 mine, the McMurray borehole is used to monitor the water level in the No. 10 workings, and is approximately at the point where mine No. 4 abuts No. 10. By monitoring at McMurray, CONSOL can determine if they need to increase pumping at the Hahn AMD plant on Hahn Road to prevent overflow into Chartiers Creek. The Hahn AMD (Acid Mine Drainage) plant draws water from the lowest point in No. 4 mine. The lowest point in No. 10 mine was at the Murdock borehole, which I have not been able to locate. - Bob Ciminel

Topographic map of the Montour No. 4 area

#4 Mine Portal Found
Bryan Seip

Here is a scene that hasn't seen the light of day for almost 20 years.

I believe the ghosts of the Montour are looking over us. And, ironically, if it wasn't for the Trail - and the weather - which caused the postponement of the bridge beams being placed - I probably would not have even seen the portal to #4. I would have walked on by - and spent my time watching the activity at the bridge.

I went to #4 to check out the new bridge, but there was nobody there and no work being done. When I called Troy & he said he would still come over and we could check out a few things - I decided to kill some time by walking up the hillside to where the mine entrance was - and lo and behold, the concrete portal was what greeted me. When Carter, RJ & I were there in December, it was nowhere to be seen. Nothing but a shallow depression in the dirt hillside. From the stories about it being bulldozed and buried - I never expected anything like this would still be there. I figured the portal was in a land fill or dumped down the shaft when it was sealed. Yes - what a find!! If the Trail work would have been in action, I may not have bothered to climb up to see the portal site. It is not visible from the road or the main line/trail. It was only when I got up onto the hill that I could see it.

This black and white picture at the top of the page is dated 1956. You can see the pipes/conduits above the conveyor on the left. If you look closely at the left side, the pipes curve down at an angle - starting to match the angle of the shaft entrance. The cement support under the conveyor just at the left end of the metal roofing is still in place on the hillside. The main tipple structure is where TAR's new brick building sits. The brick building on the right of the picture is the old power house and is still in place along the edge of Brush Run. This view is looking east - the loaded yard is to the left - the empty yard is on the far side of the tipple - and the Montour main line runs on the raised bank going under the conveyor. Brush Run and Valleybrook Road are to the right, out of frame.

Oh my - do we need that "Way-Back Machine" now........

Christmas may have come and gone - but the ghosts of the Montour whisper on the hillside.

This is the portal for Montour #4 - dated 1953 - on the hillside behind the TAR Storage building where the #4 tipple previously stood. This is where the conveyor went into the hillside and down to the mine level where the rotary dumper was located. Tim has told a couple of stories about going down the conveyor portal when #4 was shut down.

Tom Robinson - the owner of TAR Storage - told Carter he was considering installing a wine cellar in the hillside. When Carter told him that the portal & tunnel was there, he seemed interested about that. It looks like he was interested enough to do some digging and this is what was uncovered. We did not talk to Tom - so will try to get more info from him down the road.

Even a tunnel rat cannot get into the portal - but we don't know if TAR will clear out any more of it. The fill has settled about 6-8 inches, so there is a little space at the top - enough to see that the ceiling starts to slope down just a few feet into the portal.

The emergence of the portal opening is nothing short of a sign of better things to come for Montour followers. Looks like a great start for this new year. Thanks gentlemen for your Tuesday adventure in the snow & ice to bring us all in on the find. Wonderful....

After seeing the first pictures a few days ago, I started to dig through my mis-filed system of photos, searching for that certain view captured prior to the power being turned off at #4 Mine in 1980. Lo and behold I found it relatively quick, hope you enjoy this companion image, 28 years younger. Now I need to locate the picture of the cement truck pumping cement down the shaft during the sealing process.

Description:

The corrugated metal in the lower right was located above the walkway. The five power cables are directly above the conveyor belt. You can see the peak of the metal roof that housed the walkway and belt over the MRR main.

Tim Sposato

Looking down inside the portal

Map of the tipple area of Montour 4

Here's a shot looking down the tipple portal. I used to recall how many steps to the bottom, just not sure the exact count now???? 324??? I shoulda' wrote it down.

The mine fans were still on, the cold air rushing past, picking up fragments of coal dust disturbed by my movements, the rattle of corrugated metal, squeaking and clanking of various components of the tipple created an eerie environment to being there alone that late evening. The humming of the power house heard through out the valley still filled the cool night air.

Just walking from the tipple to the portal was an event in daylight, the walkway had open grating, one could look past their feet and see the Montour main track far below. At night, shadow's from the tipple lights would distort this scene adding to the one's imagination's. I can recall looking back over my shoulder on many occasions, noises causing shivers to flash up and down my spine, as I explored the tipple for the final time. Tim Sposato

Step back to 12-19-80.

I was scheduled to work 2pm, 2nd trick YM at Champion. Woke up around 6am, well knowing what this day meant for the railroad and myself. 6:30am found me driving towards Champion, sipping on a cup of hot joe. Conductor G. Biearman was called for 6am on Extra 73 east. Out of MRR Jct at 6:30am, light for a turn at Brookside.

After arriving Champion at 7:45am, Ex.73 picked up 2 coal loads of commercial coal for delivery to CR at McDonald. Departure from Champion was at 8:10am. At McDonald, Ex.73 delivered the coal and picked up several loads of lumber for Brookside.

Next stop was Southview for another load to Brookside and a boxcar to Muse. After departing Muse Jct, the train climbed toward National Tunnel, I drove on ahead to #4. Arriving at Hills I watched the activities of the cement and pumper trucks sealing the portal. The long pumper extension crossing over the track as it poured the cement through the piping. The pipe laid on the ground supported by brackets as it climbed the embankment and disappeared into the portal shaft.

After a brief chit chat with the foreman about the location of Ex.73, they emptied the truck, disconnected the pipe and raised the pumpers extension arm to await the trains arrival. It was late morning, the heavy overcast with drizzle was melting the thin layer of snow from previous days, I needed to watch the time to insure not being late reporting to Champion. Faintly the muffled sound of the #73 whistling for Greers Crossing echoed down the Chartiers Valley.

Engine 73 slowly passed by the once busy tipple, under the out stretched arm of the pumper, tooting a little on the tooter as crewmen and workers waved greetings. Looking at my watch there was plenty of time to pace the last

eastbound loads for Brookside Lumber, knowing all to well never being able to see this again.

I continued driving along Valleybrook Rd, following the eastbound and just taking it all in.

Timing was good, I could see them switch B-side and still be at Champion by 2pm........until just west of MP34.

The last boxcar and Caboose 36 dropped between the rails as they encountered wide gauge. Minor derailment..time consuming. By the time the crew got them rerailed I had to head for the YO. The track gang was called to repair the track while the train was working Brookside.

Departure from Brookside westbound was at 3:30pm and being delayed by the derailment and track repairs was enough for them to only return to Southview and tie up.Here the taxi picked the crew up for the trip to MRR Jct.

It seemed fitting it all happened the same day, last loads east, cold and overcast, drizzle, sealing the portal, derailment, outlawed crew.

As I sat in the creaking wooden chair gazing out the YO window at the Prep plant, listening to the train orders and instructions given over the airwaves, the vision of #73 shoving caboose first back to Library Jct to get around it. I followed the move from memory, Brookside to Southview, sorry to have missed it, yet mentally was still a part of it.

I vowed to ride the last run to Brookside one week later, one last train ride over those rails that had become so endeared to me.

That final run for the mtys was made, no issues, no troubles, just a quiet event for the few of us that were there.

Tim Sposato

Hickman Fan & Substation