Eureka Company
Could the tramway still exist? Part of the interest in this question was related to the proposed development of the Red Mountain Park. If this resource exists, it certainly should be included as an interpretive opportunity for the new park.
Research with maps, such as the ones shown on previous pages led Birmingham Rails to investigate old aerial photographs from 1940. These clearly showed that the tram road "trace" was there in 1940. Study also indicated that by this date, the tramway had likely been abandoned for about 40 years.
Study of current aerial photos indicated that the tram road "trace" did in fact exist and could be identified in certain areas, including parts of the proposed park property. A field trip was in order!
A field trip on 10/29//06 found that portions of the path indeed do exist and are well defined. The image on the right shows a portion of the path embankment, running from right to left.
Discussions with other local history folks as well as the Consultants working on the planning of the Red Mountain Park led to another field trip on 11/18/06 with a group of five -- Bergstresser, Bennett, Gray, Nuckols and Stewart. This group successfully investigated portions of the path and one of the Eureka mine sites on Red Mountain. It was really exciting to find one of the original red ore mine sites of the Birmingham District.
Additional time on this date, by part of the group found other portions of the tram road "trace" that have not been removed by development.
One of the more interesting questions, based on the old maps, was how the tramway crossed the main line of the South & North Alabama Railroad [L&N]. This rail line served the furnaces at Oxmoor.
Evidence in the field indicates that the tramway crossed over the mainline railroad and additional research indicates that the S&NA mainline was relocated between 1902 and about 1908. Both the embankment of the tramway and the original S&NA roadbed were found at this location, and suggest that the tramway may have become obsolete when the mainline railroad was relocated and a new, higher, grade established. Another possibility is that the South Branch of the Birmingham Mineral RR, which intersected the tramway, made it obsolete, although the South Branch is clearly shown on the maps which show the tramway extending to the furnaces at Oxmoor.