Redstone Coke Ovens - Redstone, CO - Ovens and Kilns on Waymarking.com

THESE "BEEHIVE" COKE OVENS WERE CONSTRUCTED IN THE LATE 1890'S TO
CARBONIZE OR "COKE" COAL MINED IN COAL BASIN FOR THE COLORADO FUEL AND
IRON COMPANY. A NARROW-GAUGE RAILROAD, APPROXIMATELY 12 MILES LONG
(REMOVED IN 1941) BROUGHT THE COAL DOWN GRADES EXCEEDING 4% FROM
THE MINE TO REDSTONE. TOTAL COAL PRODUCTION WAS 1.1 MILLION TONS. THE
COKE MADE AT THESE OVENS WAS THEN SHIPPED TO PUEBLO BY WAY OF THE
STANDARD GAUGE CRYSTAL RIVER RAILROAD. CF&I DISCONTINUED COKING
OPERATIONS IN 1908.

COKE IS MADE WHEN SPECIAL COALS ARE HEATED TO DRIVE OFF VOLATILE
MATTER AND MOISTURE IN THE ABSENCE OF OXYGEN. COAL WAS CHARGED INTO
THESE OVENS FROM THE TOP AND AFTER CHARGING THE OVENS WERE SEALED FOR
48 HOURS EXCEPT FOR A SMALL AMOUNT OF AIR WHICH WAS ADMITTED TO
SUPPORT ENOUGH COMBUSTION TO MAINTAIN A COKING TEMPRATURE. AS THE
FINISHED COKE WAS WITHDRAWN FROM THE OVENS IT WAS QUENCHED WITH WATER
TO PREVENT FURTHER COMBUSTION.

THE PRESENT COAL MINE OPERATIONS WERE BEGUN IN 1956 BY MID-CONTINENT
COAL AND COKE COMPANY, OUR PRODUCTION OF PREMIUM QUALITY COKING
COAL IS SHIPPED TO STEEL MILLS WHERE IT IS BLENDED WITH OTHER COALS PRIOR
TO COKING IN MODERN "SLOT TYPE" COKE OVENS.