A visit to Kennecott Copper Corporation's Bingham Canyon Mine is a breathtaking experience. The open pit mine has been in production since 1906, and has resulted in the creation of a pit over 0.75 miles (1.2 km) deep, 2.5 miles (4 km) wide, and covering 1,900 acres (7.7 km²). According to Kennecott, it is the world's largest man-made excavation. At one time, the amphitheater sported 120 miles of track circling the mine with dozens of GE 85 ton electric motors on temporary track with moveable catenary poles. At lower left is a portal leading to the 6040 elevation tunnel for transporting ore loads out of the pit to the concentrator mills in Magna. Not a trace of railroading exists in the mine today. Ore is moved by giant trucks to an efficient slurry line through the tunnel to the Copperton concentrator and a pipeline leads the slurry to the smelter at Garifield.
