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Ghost Town: Coalspur LbNA #49553

Owner:Adoptable
Plant date:Aug 6, 2009
Location:
City:Robb
County:Alberta, CAN
State:Alberta, Canada
Boxes:1
Planted by:Obliterate Apron
Found by: Not yet found!
Last found:N/A
Status:a
Last edited:Dec 17, 2015
Coalspur was a thriving community in Alberta’s Coal Branch from about 1910 until the demand for coal dwindled in about 1950. Unlike many of the other towns in the Coal Branch, there are still a handful of residents and the remains of the mine left at Coalspur. Still, it is now just a “ghost” of its former self.

We came to Coalspur from Hinton, but you could also come by Edson. The directions below are from Hinton.

Drive on Highway 40 to the junction with Highway 47 (about 80 kilometres, about half of which is gravel.)

Turn left. Cross the Embarras River and pass the Coalspur Recreation Area. You are now on Highway 47 North.

The road is paved again. It passes over a bridge over the railway tracks and crosses the river again.

On the right, you will see a sign “CN Coalspur.” Take the first right turn.

Cross the railway tracks and park. Follow the railway tracks on foot past the “CN Coalspur” sign until you see a railbed on the right. The tracks are missing. Walk along the railbed, past the concrete remains of a building on the left, to the abandoned railway trestle bridge.

Look for the sign “36.5” on the right-hand side of the bridge.

Look on the left-hand side right where the wooden railway ties meet the ground. The letterbox is buried slightly under the grey rock. I made an “X” of two rusted railway spikes over the spot, and there is an arrow scratched into the wood that points to the spot.

Bring your own inkpad. Your print will look best if you use white ink on black or midnight blue paper. It is quite a large stamp: 92 mm x 101 mm.