Edgar Experimental Mine 150th Birthday

IMG_1802Edgar Experimental Mine celebrated its 150th birthday this weekend.  Several burros were on hand along with some old grizzled miners for the momentous occasion.



IMG_1804Waiting in line for the mine tour.  I think the mine didn’t expect so many people to come out.  They had a shortage of hardhats!

IMG_1805Getting ready to enter the mine!

IMG_1806Looking down the tunnel.

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IMG_1809An old part of the mine held up with wooden timbers.

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IMG_1811In the underground machine shop.

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IMG_1813Checking out the various generations of drill rigs.

IMG_1814A rail-based drill rig.

IMG_1815The underground classroom complete with wifi but only right-handed desks.

IMG_1816Scale wooden models.

IMG_1817Old compressed air engine.

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IMG_1819The little diesel locomotive.

IMG_1820Blasting pattern.

IMG_1821Just like in the cartoons!

IMG_1822Edgar the burro!  Blaster the burro was down on campus for the football game.

ArcelorMittal Burns Harbor Site Visit

IMG_2072I had the opportunity to go with a group of CSM students to the ArcelorMittal Burns Harbor facility for a tour of the operations.

IMG_2073Hot slabs of steel rolling down the line.

IMG_2074Rolling mills in action.


IMG_2082This is a MASSIVE facility.



IMG_2141Looking at some test samples of steel.



IMG_2147Watching steel flying by.



IMG_2153The group in one of the control rooms.

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Steel being poured into a huge crucible.

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Massive furnaces in action.

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This place is so big.  It’s hard to describe the size.

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