Coal quality from Superior

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DRBill
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Post by DRBill » Sat. Nov. 17, 2018 4:00 pm

Our coal bin holds three tons and, since there was about a quarter ton in the bin, I got 2 3/4 tons of nut coal on 8/27. It really filled the bin (couldn't have held three tons) and I was thinking that it must be lower density. I've been burning it for about two weeks now and I have to turn the draft of the Harmon Mark 11 down to 1/2 turn or it might go out between 9 pm and 7:30 am. That means it takes longer to get the house up to 74-76F. White ash, whatever that means. Been getting red ash for at least ten years. I wonder if Superior got new screens, as this stuff is nut with no fines and some is a bit bigger than nut but not as big as stove. The hot air furnace is set at 73F. and it usually comes on during the night. Just afraid if I leave it open at 1 turn, I might lose the fire overnight. Got up at 1:30 last night (3/4 turn) and had to add more coal and that is unusual. Anyone else have this problem? I definitely think it is lower density, but also lower ash, as I'm not getting as much ash as I did in years past. Compared with years past, this coal sucks.

Bill

 
Minnesnowtan
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Post by Minnesnowtan » Sat. Nov. 17, 2018 5:05 pm

Bill....when u say "Superior coal" what do you mean by that ? Are u referring to getting it from Superior, WI or.... ?

 
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coaledsweat
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Post by coaledsweat » Sat. Nov. 17, 2018 5:55 pm

The Hegins mine I believe he is talking about. I've never tried any but some here swear it's damn good coal.


 
DRBill
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Hand Fed Coal Stove: Harmon Mk II
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Post by DRBill » Sun. Nov. 18, 2018 12:52 pm

The Superior Coal Breaker is in Hegins, PA. We have gotten coal there for over 15 years. Dennis, who now delivers our coal, said they have three underground mines. Can't remember where, but one is located near the breaker on the road from Sacramento to Good Spring. That's the road that goes through the old strippings. Follow it and you end up at Rt. 209 just before you get to the Co-Gen plant and I 81. Dennis said the defunct Pine Creek breaker was the best breaker and always got the best coal. Big hole in the roof and all of the machinery has been dismantled and sold.

Bill

 
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CoalJockey
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Post by CoalJockey » Sun. Nov. 18, 2018 1:06 pm

My family hauled coal out of Pine Creek by the truck-axle load for over 40 years. I spent many cold mornings in there loading too after I hit the road.

They were great people to work with, like a family there and I miss those guys. The coal was loaded slowly with the shaker and as a result was washed very well.

We buy much farther North since they have closed but I often come back down 25 because I know the road so well. It’s very sad to see everything so dilapidated and run down from sitting idle. I see now that they have begun to tear the buildings down.

Many great memories there.

 
DRBill
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Hand Fed Coal Stove: Harmon Mk II
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Post by DRBill » Sun. Nov. 18, 2018 1:41 pm

Hey Coaljockey. Last time I got coal from Pine Creek, I talked with Wayne. Guess he was an employee. Lots of time underground and was thinking of taking the course to be a mine inspector. But, his wife didn't want him go off for months to take the course. Darned shame as, with his experience, he would have been a good inspector if he could have put up with the federal BS. That was maybe ten years ago and I heard he went to work at the Co-Gen plant. He told me about all of the stupid federal regulations that were stifling the coal industry. How about having to have an Exit sign over the door of the weigh house, which was only about 12 X 12 feet square. Most of the people I ran into who worked underground and were forced to pursue another vocation wished they could go back underground. They just loved it. Same goes with the mine foreman at Pioneer Coal Mine tunnel. My brother and I talked with him for about two hours over a year ago and, while he probably had a good job at Pioneer, he really wanted to go back underground. He was tactful but had little to say about the operators in the lower field in regards their safety. Regardless of the coal field, it is a small family and, I suspect, everyone knows everyone else.

Bill


 
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CoalJockey
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Post by CoalJockey » Sun. Nov. 18, 2018 2:39 pm

Wayne was awesome to work with, and a great friend. He still calls my dad from time to time just to have chat.

I would leave the garage at 2:30 or so and typically would pull in the driveway in the dark at Pine Creek At about 5:45 and had to take the cable down as I was the first one there. The only times I was late was due to traffic, an occasional breakdown, or one time I became pretty sick on the way there. Often the scale was iced over and froze so I would drive completely over it to break it loose and back up on again to get my lightweight zeroed in. I was usually parked under the chute by 6 and when the first set of headlights came in the driveway I would know it was Wayne and he loaded me 90% of the time. He drove a Ford pickup with a step-side bed. He loaded my dad when I rode along as a little kid in the passenger seat so he was there quite a few years. He always wanted you to be there at 6 sharp because he needed to begin filling the pocket again with fresh coal and could not do so until my load was out.

Correct, Wayne did go to work for the Co-Gen and after that he had a Snap-On tool franchise and truck for awhile. He called my dad back in the Springtime and he is doing something different now but I apologize because I don’t recall what now.

There was Dave in the scalehouse, he was a great friend to me and always had something funny to say... I’m thinking he retired when they closed. Irv was the main mechanic in the truck garage and Donny Klinger (owners brother) was in charge of plant maintenace, electrical and plumbing. Don was entirely self-taught and was a natural born mechanic, very smart. I think he retired as well when Bob closed up. Don is to blame for my love of EFM boilers and provided all the wiring diagrams to me for my first install. There was another gent there that treated me well but I forget his name.

When Bob closed it down we started going further North to Sherman, Lehigh, and Blaschak who thankfully agreed to take us on and we have been treated very well at each of them. The people of the PA anthracite region are truly the best.

Sorry to hijack the thread that was meant for Superior, but this brought back some great memories for me, many of those things I haven’t thought about for a long time. I enjoyed the many days that I spent there and was very sorry to see it close.

 
DRBill
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Hand Fed Coal Stove: Harmon Mk II
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Other Heating: oil hot air

Post by DRBill » Sun. Nov. 18, 2018 4:22 pm

Coaljockey. Nice to read something about Pine Creek. Since you used to run Rt. 25, I'm sure you have seen David A. Lucas' shrine in Hegins. Outspoken and opinionated SOB, and I wonder if he is still alive. Smoking and silicosis. I'm sure you have also seen him in the video "Hard Coal: Last of the Bootleg Miners." I think this came out over ten years ago. Worth watching for anyone interested in underground mining. Don't know how many of the mines are still in operation but I think the one in "Dirty Jobs" was RS&W, and is a drift mine, which is no longer allowed. Seems it is one of the last drift mines, as were the original Lansford #9 and Pioneer. Apparently, slope mines are allowed if they follow all of the stringent federal rules. Drift mines could flood and release water. Not so with slope mines. Wonder if all of the water in #9 has dried up due to the open pit mine that used to be Lansford #8. I also wonder how many of the Independent Coal Miners are still working.

Bill

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