Mary Murphy Mine

IMG_3913The old Mary Murphy Mine has an extensive and well-preserved tramway system for hauling ore from the upper diggings down to the site of the former ore processing mill.  The towers still stand in the forest as you head up the access road to the lower portion of the mine.

IMG_3914A Honeybadger and a few land cruisers heading up the hill.

IMG_3915Up at the lower part of the Mary Murphy Mine.  There are many buildings that are surprisingly intact.

IMG_3916The old middle terminal on the ore tramway.



IMG_3918Looking into one of the buildings near the road.  Sooner or later this will collapse.

IMG_3919At one time, this probably was offices for the mine.



IMG_3922Time to check out the ore tramway terminal!  Ore would come down from the upper diggings to this terminal, dump out into a chute, and then be loaded into other tram cars that would take it down the mountain to the mill.

IMG_3923Travis and I went inside to check out the old workings.  It’s basically an old school ski lift setup.

IMG_3924The business end of the drive system.  This would have been powered by a steam piston and big leather drive belts.

IMG_3925The cable gets clamped by these teeth to pull it around the wheel.

IMG_3926Looking up toward the ore dump for the upper tramway.

IMG_3927Travis scoping stuff out.  The building appears in remarkably good shape in this part although the floor is getting unstable.  In another few years, this building will probably also collapse.
IMG_3928
IMG_3929This is a small creek running alongside the tramway terminal.  The rocks outside of the creek aren’t that color.  There is some nasty stuff coming out of the old tunnels of the Mary Murphy Mine.  I most certainly wouldn’t drink this water.

IMG_3930The creek in question.

IMG_3931The back side of the old tramway terminal isn’t holding up so well.  It will probably collapse in a few more years.

IMG_3933The roof already caved in many years ago.



IMG_3935Heading back down toward St. Elmo.  The big structure on the left is one of the tramway pylons.

IMG_3936Down the road further, we spotted this neat old railroad bridge.



IMG_3938At one point you could drive a car across it but now the road bypasses the bridge below.

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