781 Comments for Old Saint Nicholas Coal Breaker

It's a load control center (switches for equipment). These buildings were never very rain tight, thus the pitched top to keep out as much water as possible.

Looks like my garage!

That device is an old Westinghouse 3 phase electric motor. I would say 20 - 25 HP.

like buttons on a robot:)

clapping! I love the imagination here...
and i see 'im too. but i'm going to pretend its a GIRL with a mohawk:)

It was at an old coal-fed power plant of a similar height - I started walking down one of these and noticed some large holes in the floor a quarter of the way through... it's just a dumb way to die if the stairs are OK :-)

Another gorgeous gallery, Motts. Thank you for visiting so many of the forgotten places of Pennsylvania's history...and thank you especially for bringing the memories back to share with us. This Pennsylvanian, for one, is grateful to you. ♥

Amazing gallery, thank you.

I agree with both Confess and Canada - the weathering effects on the outside of the building really do make it look like it's crying (which my tender heart thinks many of these abandoned places would be doing if they could), and also that the broken windows look like knocked-out teeth. Gives the effect of the building as a "being" of some sort! Pretty cool.

Beautiful! I love the hazy sky behind the building.

I love the perspective of following that pipe and looking down, down, down toward the bottom. Wow.

You know we REALLY want to know now what happened at the other location. ;)

That would be one heck of a slide!

And oh gosh, how I love the green of Pennsylvania, even on a hazy day. (Motts, I know quite well how flamingly, humidly, hazily, horribly hot PA is in August!) Although this area was torn up years ago for this factory and the rail line to be built, nature seems to have returned victorious - as she nearly always does - and is doing quite well. It's still a desolate place, but there's an interesting kind of beauty to it, I think.

Canada, I had the same thought. I wonder why they needed a set of spotlights on top of a coal breaker? External lights for outdoor safety, sure. But these? Hmmm.

Also, what ledge did you crawl out on to get this shot, Motts? Oh my.

I have an intense amount of pride in my home state...I think the countryside of PA is some of the most beautiful anywhere. I'm glad to see you've captured it here in this very intriguing photo! It makes me lightheaded at the height, but I'm sure it was worth it for such a beautiful view! :)

I love that the tag still hang there, all these years later. They're closed in that box, so they haven't been destroyed by sunlight...very neat little thing to find.