In-Depth : Harry E Coal Breaker II

 

Here are some shots of the Harry E. Breaker on the Swoyersville/Luzerne line. When I first started driving I used to go on the "Back Road". I just could not understand why they left it standing over such a busy road - as it was a potential clearnace problem.

The nick-name of the Breaker was "The Bucket of Blood". It was reputed to be very dangerous by local miners. Once in Bonka's Cafe an old miner told me about the breaker. He said to was a terrible place to work - many men were maimed and died there. Maybe more were maimed. At the time, Bonka's even had Steg on tap but the old miners would drink anything that was alcoholic...

I came across this batch of photos, taken on a sunny day in the early 1990's. You knew that this breaker could not last forever. At least at the time the Sullivan Trail Breaker was used for storage and other uses. The Harry E was "abandoned in place" and really nothing was going on with it by this time.

 

In this photo the culm bank is visable behind the breaker. Much of this has been reclaimed now.


 

 

 

These veiws show the nasty looking girders, trusses, pipes of the breaker.

 


 



 


 


 

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