This historical black-and-white photograph captures underground coal mining at the Montour No. 4 mine of the Pittsburgh Coal Co. in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in November 1942. In the tight, low-ceilinged tunnel, a miner sits on a compact mine car positioned on steel rails, his headlamp and the machine’s lights cutting through the darkness.
The image highlights a mine car operating off a trolley cable, with electrical lines running overhead and rugged rock walls pressed close on either side. Details like the heavy equipment, exposed wiring, and rough floor convey the demanding conditions of wartime-era industrial work beneath the surface.
Ideal for readers interested in Pittsburgh history, coal mining technology, and labor photography, this scene offers a vivid look at the machinery and environment that powered a major regional industry. It’s a striking reminder of how miners and electric haulage systems worked together to move coal through narrow underground passages.