Scranton is a multi-leveled place.

What you see passing through on I-81 doesn’t give you any sense for what the place is about.

At one time there were dozens of active anthracite mines in and around the city with hundreds of miles of tunnels, many served by narrow gauge colliery railways.

The Lackawanna Coal Mine tour has been on my ‘to do’ list for a long time.

On our most recent visit to Scranton, Kris and I finally made time to take the tour. It was worth every minute and I’m looking forward to taking the tour again.

John, our guide, did an incredible job of conveying the history and the process of mining and stories of the hazards, trials, and difficult times endured by generations of anthracite miners in decades ago. In the early twenthieth century miners would start very young, with children five to ten years old being sent to help extract “black diamonds” from the earth.

Mines, even those opened and santized for visitors, are dangerous places, and we signed waivers before boarding the cable-hoisted railcar that lowered us deep into the earth. Although the last coal was mined here the year I was born, this is a real mine, and it was really cool to see in person.

Despite the inky darkness, thanks to my Nikon Z7-II and its high-ISO settings, I made many images.

More to follow in the coming days. Stay tuned . . .

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