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A coal train makes a drop Thursday from Colowyo Coal Co. to Tri-State Generation & Transmission’s Craig Station. Craig Station receives about half of its coal supply from Colowyo, with the other half coming from Trapper mine.

Photo by Shawn McHugh

Pat Byers takes a moment from working on a Caterpillar haul truck for a photo Thursday at the Colowyo Coal Co. maintenance shop. Byers, a heavy equipment mechanic, has worked at the mine for about 20 years.

Photo by Shawn McHugh

Shawn Coleman, a helper on the blast crew at Trapper Mine Co., fills holes drilled above a coal seam with explosives from his bulk truck June 2 on K ridge at the mine. One of the trucks can hold up to 24,000 pounds of explosive powder.

Photo by Shawn McHugh

Mechanics Curtis Hejny, left, and Rick Mosher take a moment from working on a coal pulverizer for a quick laugh Thursday at Tri-State Generation & Transmission’s Craig Station. The 1,304-megawatt coal-fired power plant employs about 300 residents full-time.

Photo by Shawn McHugh

A bulldozer, driven by Tom Whiffen, pushes coal away from a stackout conveyor Thursday at Tri-State Generation and Transmission’s Craig Station’s east stackout. The plant has two stacks to keep coal from Colowyo and Trapper mines separated.

Photo by Shawn McHugh

Trapper Mine Co., located behind Craig Station, trucks coal to the plant by road, seen here by an aerial view May 20. Trapper produced 2.1 million tons of coal in 2009.

Photo by Shawn McHugh

A bulk truck driver on the Colowyo Coal Co., blast crew fills holes with explosives while a small bulldozer stems the holes on a snowy day, May 12, at the mine.

Photo by Shawn McHugh

A LeTourneau Technologies front-end loader drops dirt and rock overburden into a Kamatsu haul truck May 14 at the Trapper Mining Co. The loader is the largest on the market and can fill the 240-ton haul truck in about four scoops.

Photo by Shawn McHugh