It's only mid-afternoon but the shadows already cover the valley floor in the West Virginia coal fields. A mine run has placed its empties and will now gather the loads.

The conductor, the dapper gentleman on the left, had about six more months until retirement. Although he had been offered a lump sum to take early retirement, he figured that by the time taxes, wi... (more)

A mine run pauses beside a collection pond, coal dust and mud as it prepares to work the tipple at Premier, WV.