Pioneer Tunnel gets $400k grant for new visitor friendly lokie barn
PHOTO COURTESY / SENATOR ARGALL'S OFFICE - A group gathered at Pioneer Tunnel in Ashland for the grant announcement.
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ASHLAND – The Pioneer Tunnel and Coal Mine received a heft grant to go towards a new visitor friendly barn to house its steam engines, local politicians announced today.
Senator David G. Argall (R-Schuylkill/Berks) and Representative Neal Goodman (D-123) announced the $400,000 grant today, a Marketing to Attract Tourism grant from the PA Department of Community and Economic Development.
“We are incredibly thankful for this grant money and truly appreciate the support. This infrastructure will create a safer working environment for our employees and outside contractors. The building will also create a more aesthetically pleasing view for our guests. It has been our goal for a few years to create a “Lokie” barn large enough to house both of our steam locomotives and with this enhanced building we will be able to achieve this. We hope to have the project completed by the start of our 2020 season,” said Pioneer Tunnel board of directors member Ed Wytovich.
The tunnel, a formerly working coal mine turned tourist attraction in the 1960s, operates steam locomotives to take visitors out to a vista, from which Shenandoah can be seen miles away, as well as a strip mining operation.
The $400,000 grant will fund the construction of a new barn to house the “lokie” steam engines, creating a visitor friendly facility with a wall of windows “so train enthusiasts can observe the maintenance of the engines.”
“This is a wonderful educational attraction that draws thousands of visitors each year. This grant program is extremely competitive, so I am grateful that DCED recognized that the Pioneer Tunnel is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Schuylkill County,” said Argall.
“The Pioneer Mine Tunnel draws visitors from far and near, and I commend DCED for making a significant investment into one of the state’s most unique and popular attractions,” added Goodman.
DCED deputy secretary Carrie Fischer Lapore added, “The Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine is a tremendous and unique tourism asset for the region and one that provides a look at one of the industries that fueled the industrial revolution in the commonwealth. The funding we are providing will create a better experience for visitors, countless school groups, and all who are looking to learn more about this heritage industry.”
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