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The Coal Mine: Old Ben No. 17 Headframe

Specifications

The Coal Mine: Old Ben No. 17 Headframe

Category

Manufacturing

Classification

CHENHALL - Tools & Equipment for Materials - Mining & Mineral Harvesting T&E - Headframe

Object Origin
Date Original design:

1920

Date Built:

c. 1932

Physical Characteristics

Object Description: Welded steel structure with angular support beams and platforms. Two (2) large pulleys (sheaves) support wire ropes which run to coal mine hoist at floor level.

Materials:

metal

Measurements: Object:
    Height: 63 ft 2 in
    Weight: 56,350 lbs

Credit

Museum Purchase, 33.373

Display Status

On Exhibit

The Coal Mine: Old Ben No. 17 Headframe

About: The Coal Mine: Old Ben No. 17 Headframe

About: The Coal Mine: Old Ben No. 17 Headframe

The Coal Mine exhibit at the Museum opened in 1933 as the Museum's very first exhibit and has remained both popular and historically important since then. The exhibit replicates an underground coal mine, featuring Old Ben No. 17, a real coal mine that was relocated from southern Illinois. Visitors take an elevator ride 30 feet below ground to explore mining equipment, tools, and machinery used in coal extraction, with working examples of how mining has evolved from pickaxes to longwall machines capable of carving out football field-sized sections of shale. The exhibit also explains how Davy lamps were used to detect methane dangers and includes a train ride that gives visitors a sense of a coal miner’s "daily commute." While the exhibit has undergone several renovations since its opening, it continues to offer an immersive experience that educates visitors on the dangerous and demanding work of miners and the significant role coal mining has played in the U.S. economy. A key feature of the exhibit is the headframe which supports the machinery that powers the elevator, transporting visitors into the simulated mine. The hoist, part of the headframe system, raises and lowers the elevator, which transports both miners and coal within the mine. Since 1933, the Coal Mine exhibit has remained an important part of the Museum, showcasing the complexities of the mining process and the evolution of mining technology.

Related Objects

Related Objects

The Coal Mine: Old Ben No. 17 Hoist

Manufacturing

The Coal Mine: Old Ben No. 17 Hoist

View Object

Additional information

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