Mine Rescue Car

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A historical marker at Huntington’s former Chesapeake &
Ohio passenger station commemorates the mine
 rescue car once based there.

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A historical marker at Huntington’s former Chesapeake & Ohio
 Railway passenger station commemorates the mine rescue and
training car that was based there for more than 30 years.

Given the remote locations of many coal mines, train cars were seen
 as the best method of bringing help to endangered miners across
 the country. The cars enabled rescue personnel to swiftly
 travel to mine disaster sites with all the equipment
and supplies they needed for rescue
and investigative work.

The Bureau of Mines divided the United States into nine
 districts, placing rescue cars, rescue stations and district
 headquarters near the larger coalfields where mine
disasters were most likely to occur. The wooden
rescue car assigned to the Huntington district
served West Virginia, Eastern Kentucky
 and Virginia. It was in operation
 from 1911 through 1933.

When not participating in rescue efforts at mining disasters,
the train cars became mobile classrooms for mine-rescue
and first-aid training. The rescue cars moved from one
 mining camp to another, stopping at each to conduct
 field studies, equipment tests, rescue and first-aid
demonstrations, training and lectures.

When a disaster occurred, mine owners would contact the
nearest mine rescue car. The car was then attached
to the first available locomotive, which would
proceed to the accident scene.

The Huntington-based rescue car has long since gone to the
 scrapyard, but a historical marker for the Huntington
Mine Rescue Car has been installed at the former
C&O passenger station on 7th Avenue in
Huntington, where the train car was
stationed during its service.

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Note:  This Article and picture appeared in the Herald-Dispatch Newspaper on Jan, 30, 2024.

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