🚀 go-pugleaf

A few weeks ago I asked cmu.cs.general:

> Does anybody know of any steel mills, coal mines, or heavy industrial
> factories in the area that give tours? ...

Below is a summary of responses followed by some info about Weirton
Steel in West Virginia:

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From: Mike Blackwell <mkb@frc2.frc.ri.cmu.edu>

Just north of Pgh off of route 28 is the Tour-Ed Mine - a coal mine
that gives tours. I've never been there, but it could be interesting
(I think they cater more to the school field trip crowd). It should be
in the phone book.

A few years ago I got a fascinating tour of Edgar Thompson Works via
a short course on the history of steel making, given by the Carnegie
Museum. They don't do it very often, but you might want to give them a call.

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From: aperez@SWIFT.PRODIGY.CS.CMU.EDU

We visited the Steelmaking and Finishing Facilities of Weirton Steel 
Corporation, in Weirton WV. I think it is about 1 hr from Pitsburgh.

The tour was very interesting. The tour guides are retired workers and
do this as volunteers. ...  It seems that most visitors are more on the
tourist side, and therefore the guide took a lot of interest on us and
showed us more things than they usually do. We were the only persons in
the tour.

The tours are monday and fridays at 9am and 1pm, and the last saturday
of each month at 9am.  Feel free to ask me if you want more info. I
also have the directions they gave to get there.

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From: mws@ISL1.RI.CMU.EDU

I had a short tour of the Edgar Thompson (sp?) works about six years ago;
tours have been very unusual since companies became super-conscious about
being sued by tourists, etc.  My tour was in conjunction with a mini-course
at the Carnegie Museum; it was timed to also serve as a reheasal for a
scheduled visit by Gov Casey a couple of days later.

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From: mleone@ECONOMIC.MESS.CS.CMU.EDU

I made a few calls a year or two ago and was told that tours are no
longer "generally" available because of liability concerns.
Apparently the Weirton mill (in West Virginia) still gives tours, but
I've never been there.

>If there are no good tours, then where can one drive to get a good
>view of abandoned or current steel mills?  Is there a Steel Mill
>museum in the area?

I think most of the mills are in the Mon Valley, so it might be a nice
Sunday drive. 

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From: Chris Newburn <newburn@aslan.ece.cmu.edu>

The place to drive is up the Mon on Carson.  The abandoned steel mills are
known as "brown fields."  Go look and you'll see why.

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From: Paul Heckbert, 10/12/94

I called and made a reservation for a tour at Weirton Steel Corp. in
Weirton, W. Va.  Here is what I learned on the phone.

Weirton is about 1 hour east of Pittsburgh, on the Ohio River, north of
Wheeling.  Reservations are required for a tour.  Call (304) 797 5123.
Their current schedule is to give tours every Monday and Friday.
(They may change their tour schedule with the seasons, call to make sure).
Tours begin at 9am and at 1pm and last 2-3 hours.  Typically
they show you the blast furnace, sheet mill, and tin mill.  They ask
that you wear reasonably protective clothing and good walking shoes (no
open toed sandals, shorts, or tank tops).  Sneakers are ok. No cameras allowed.