We traveled to Redstone, Colorado for a look see after reading reports the coke ovens are being restored and/or having their decay arrested.
In their day these coke ovens were used to take coal from the nearby mines and convert it to coke by burning in a low air oven. The resulting product was then shipped by narrow gauge railroad to the steel mills in Pueblo for use in steel making.
Crushed coal was poured into the ovens through a hole in the top and then ignited. The door was then bricked up with just a small hole for air. 48 hours later the door was opened and the coke was raked out and loaded into rail cars for transport.
The nearby town of Redstone was created for the workers who made their livelihood working these ovens. There were as many as 200 in use.
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| The process left a glaze on the inside of the oven |
The historical group is doing a nice job of preserving history
I've never heard of the term "coke", thanks for the education. It's great that there are people willing to spend their time redoing these ovens.
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