781 Comments for Old Saint Nicholas Coal Breaker

This place looks like a broken ankle waiting to happen... hope you were able to tread carefully and escape unscathed, Motts.

Love the layer of dust over everything, lending it that eerie, untouched feel.

Looks like a grinding machine, possibly to sharpen tools?

Awesome composition here.

Thanks for another gallery, Motts!!!

looks like an electric fuse box to me.

Yes, thanks again, Mr. Motts. We appreciate the work (& risk) that goes into these galleries!

Cool, thanks Steve!

Motts, I've been watching your stuff for a year (or 2,?) but never posted until today. YOU SIR are an absolute master with the camera. What a great eye...

I always love the derelict hospitals and institutions and such, but the "heavy industrial" sites with their rusty BIG iron really floats my boat.

This is a really great album. Thanks so much for sharing your excellent work with us!

So it is a type of press :) Lucky guess on my part. Thanks Junkyardave and Steve for the information.

No! It's too beautiful to scrap!

This is an old Buffalo Ironworker. (Google for images of various models)

It's a punch press. I worked at a company that had one. Ours would punch a 2" diameter hole in a piece of 3/4" thick steel plate in about 1/4 of a second. Keep your fingers clear!
It contains a large motor with a belt and pulley drive system that spins a massive flywheel. Ours took about 10 V-belt-screeching seconds to get the wheel up to speed. I believe the motor on ours was about 15 HP.
The user fitted a punch of the required diameter to the upper ram. A matching punch die went on the bottom. A piece of steel--- the "victim" to be punched was slid in between punch and die and a button was pressed that engaged the ram and punch to the massive spinning flywheel.
The ram went down and it made a huge "KA_THUNK" noise that shook the concrete floor, and a slug of steel dropped to the floor leaving a nice perfect punched hole in your steel plate. The one in the photo is an oldie, but that's certainly what it is.

Lucie, I was so busy looking at the "arms" I missed the green roof! Thanks for pointing it out, it really is a nice contrast.

Thanks, Junkyardave! :)

It was made by the Buffalo Forge Co., and looks like a heavy-duty drill press or milling machine to me. Here's a picture of a small drill press made by the same company:
http://www.owwm.com/ph...ex/images/2983-B.jpg
Thanks for the new set, Mr. Motts. Awesome, as usual!

Love to see this baby in action!