Eastern Railroad Discussion > Coal

While this post is a little off topic thought I would share these pictures with all ----------

The Northeastern Pennsylvania Anthracite coal region mostly in Schuylkill County still operates albeit strip mining, the Reading & Northern RR serves this industry.
Ed K.

---

---

---

Only one coal breaker remains of many in NE PA, the St. Nicholas breaker in Mahanoy City. This one is dying a slow death as it is being dismantled over the past couple of years along with its appurtenances. There is no more deep shaft mining in NE PA, this was once served by the Reading Railroad.
Ed K.

---

---

---

Ed K. cp Laurel Run

---

---

---

Interesting photos Ed. I visited that breaker in the early 60's, I used to live if Pottsville, PA.
John

When one says coal breaker...what exactly does that mean?  To break the word down I take it that it means to break bigger pieces of coal into smaller one?  Thanks for any answers.

Forever-Railfan-45 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> When one says coal breaker...what exactly does
> that mean?  To break the word down I take it that
> it means to break bigger pieces of coal into
> smaller one?  Thanks for any answers.

Correct, breaking down chunks to various size ie pea, nut, rice etc.
Ed K.

Thanks Ed...
 

Interesting stuff....!! Thanks......

I remember being by that breaker, but it was years ago.

Ed - Just checked out your You Tube postings for this breaker. Outstanding photography!!

Paul Brennecke
Golden, CO

Anthracite is so much harder and more brittle than bituminous that it used to come up in huge chunks and drop from a height off a belt (or, in really old days, out of a mine car on a dump) to smash. The idea of dumping a car onto a belt or into a crusher is why the structures are also known as tipples. 

Bituminous coal may be crushed to size before it leaves the mine if it's coming off a longwall, so the surface prep plant is more for removing stone and, in some cases, blending several mines' output to get the customer's spec BTU and sulfur content.

Rebecca Morgan
Jacobsburg, OH

The coal pieces also pass through  sheets with various sized holes. Smaller pieces are passed through to the next lower sheet, while bigger pieces are pushed to the side with other pieces of the same size.  Eventually, several screens lower, the smallest pieces are collected and bagged .

The Allentown Morning Call newspaper had an article that appeared in other newspapers in Pennsylvania about the St.Nicholas Breaker. It explains what a breaker is and includes an album of photographs.
The Morning Call

There is a mostly intact anthracite breaker (the Huber) in Ashley, PA.
The Huber was operated by Blue Coal a subsidiary of the Glen Alden Corporation.
Closed in 1976.

UAE Coal Corporation has or had an underground anthracite mine
near Mount Carmel, PA.  Not sure if it is still mining coal.  Employed
31 miners.