How Do You Know What You're Getting?

Strange day yesterday. I phoned Superior & asked about coal. She was real pessimistic. Said they can't sell to me as stock is low, breaker is down, only selling to regulars, the feds are going to shut down the anthracite industry any day now. Poor girl! She's living on the edge of fear! She suggetsed Summit or Kimmel.
Then I called Double Run Trucking. They are happy to being me coal next week. I asked what kind & he said Superior. How do I know it's really superior? A month ago I phoned a coal mnine number & that person sold himself off as Superior, but was not! I got the number off the internet but I cannot search and find it again. Odd.

Double Run trucking is a regular at Superior,, He will provide a weight slip from Superior.. Since he is a regular, they will sell him coal while the breaker is down for repairs..

Greg L

Long shut downs are not uncommon for a breaker especially at this time of the year. They usually plan for major maintenance now if they know its going to shut it down for a long time. If they don't have a lot of stock cutting off the people that don't regularly do business with them is common too.... so no Freddy its not a "gubment" conspiracy.... I'd have to guesstimate that for every two days a breaker is operating they'll have one day of downtime. Might be a 3:1 instead. That was the case at Hudson at least.

Back in the day breaker shut downs like that were not all that common. They ran 3 shifts, a morning and an afternoon shift that processed coal. The late shift would fix stuff all night long. They were all 24 hour operations. Most breakers just run a regular day shift nowadays. If the wanted to ramp up to two shifts they'd probably have to go back to three shift system because they'd be breaking down all the time.

As far as your question the weight slip is a good indicator.

Thanks for the replies.
24 hour operations... I suppose, if you're in a mine day or night doesn't make much differnce!

I hope I'm ready when the coal gets here. Maybe concrete poured tomorrow, if not, Fri. Then the weekend to get three walls of the sheep shed up. The coal will be against one wall. Busy weekend!

Freddy wrote: the feds are going to shut down the anthracite industry any day now.

Is this part of the conspiracy theory, or is this something to be concerned about?

When I was at Superior last month they mentioned the breaker was going to be shut down for an extended period. Coal would still be available but it would be loaded from the stockpile, not from the normal breaker wet chute. I think the reason for the shut down was to replace the sizing screens. JC would likely remember since he was with me.

Yanche wrote:When I was at Superior last month they mentioned the breaker was going to be shut down for an extended period. Coal would still be available but it would be loaded from the stockpile, not from the normal breaker wet shoot. I think the reason for the shut down was to replace the sizing screens. JC would likely remember since he was with me.

Is there a difference in "stockpile" vs. the wet shoot?

Would anyone hesitate to buy from the "stockpile"?

Thanks,
Jeremy

What is the phone number for Double Run trucking? Do they charge by the ton or distance?
Thank You,
Gary

The breaker grades the sizes of coal and has some capacity to store the various sizes. Normally coal is dispensed via a chute from these storage bins directly into your truck or trailer. You have the choice to have it dry or wet. Wet just means water is sprayed on coal as it travels down the chute. It keeps the dust down. When there are no customers the bin fills. Then the breakers truck takes it to the outside pile. At Superior they put planks on the coal pile and the truck actually backs up the pipe to the top and dumps. A sight to see. So coal from the pile is the same coal.

at the breaker we haul out of they always shut down the 2 mid weeks of july to replace screens and repair other things that can not be done quickly

ok, thanks Yanche.

beatle78 wrote: Is there a difference in "stockpile" vs. the wet shoot?

Would anyone hesitate to buy from the "stockpile"?

It can make a difference and its going to depend on the operation and luck . At Hudson for example the coal comes out of the screening plant and goes onto a big pile, as this pile grows the fines and flat pieces are going to accumulate in the middle of it. The rounder, larger more desirable pieces will roll off to the edges. When the pile is at its largest the coal on the outside of the pile is very clean to begin with. Ideally you'd want that, if you're lucky they'll be loading that into the hopper for the final wash before going into the delivery truck. Coal like that will almost be spotless and very desirable quality.

What you wouldn't want is a scoop from the very bottom middle of the pile, they usually throw that last scoop or two back into the breaker because its generally really bad even after washing it. This is effects mostly nut and pea, not so important for the buck and rice.

I had a really good relationship with the loader guy (I guess the $50 a bottle whiskey each Christmas helped). In any event during the winter when this final wash wasn't possible if I was coming for nut I''d make sure he knew it so he wouldn't be screwing around with the pile and let it get really big. He'd even leave a scoop off to the side for me if he had to load a lot of trucks.

The mountains of coal in each size at superior are huge.. The coal came from the breaker, where it was washed and sorted.. it may have a little extra fines compared to the stuff that is washed one extra time from the chutes.. but I sure couldn't see it..

Jay and I loaded about 1500# by hand from the 'pea-coal mountain' and it was very clean,, and then I had about 5 tons from the chute [wet] poured into the dump trailer..

I wouldn't worry about the coal from the piles.. they are HUGE..

The repairs on the breaker are in the conveyor system, maybe the screens as well, but there were a lot of broken wooden beams proped up and piles of new lumber when I was there a few weeks ago.. Just old wooden parts suffering from age and water/weather..

Greg L

.

The Reason why Superior coal breaker is shut down is for Repairs the main wooded beams That hold up the breaker are Rotten threw ater 60 years They have to Fix it before it falls down this is the shaker's sceening sizing Part of the breaker they can not Run the breaker with out Fixing it I was told 4 to 6 weeks before they can Run it again They have enough coal on the stock Piles to sell for 5 years or more there is no differents in sizing or cleaness from getting the coal from the bin chute in breaker or from the piles it All came from the breaker The bin chutes in the breaker can only hold so much coal

They clean them out daily and dump the coal on the piles Witch are 500 to 1000 Ft. From the breaker The only differents from the breaker bin and the Piles is the coal is not as wet on the Piles as it would be from the breaker you will have rain water instead of breaker water All of the coal has been washed 2 to 3 times before it gets on the Piles As far has the coal changing it's size from the breaker to the piles I have never seen that every with there coal The coal is sized in the breaker it does not change it's size from the breaker to the Piles That are only 500 to 1000 ft. away The only Vein of coal that I know off down here That will splinter or break easy is The Mammoth coal Vein witch is what Vein
Summit Anthracite is into now And Blaschak Reading and other's Surface mining companies are in Superior coal comes from there own deep mines There Veins are Buck Mountain and a little of the Seven foot They did have the Primrose &

Orchard vein but no more Soon they will be is the Holmes Vein once they run another slope As for the Feds shutting down the deep mines That is no B.S.they are doing it every year There was three shut down in 06 and one a few weeks ago There are only 11 left in the State in the 80's there was Hundreds The Feds what to shut them all down so they can Take over the coal and control it And don't think the Surface mining co. are safe either they will be Next If you have not seen the documentary Hard coal the last of the bootleg miners That was filmed from 2004 to 2005 in this area and released in 2006 I would suggest on trying to find a copy and watch it It will show you what the Feds are doing to the Independent miners and how they are shutting them down It is a eye opener Not good for anyone that wants to heat there home with Anthracite coal

I don't know how there operation is down there but even if you're loading off a pile by hand you'll get the same effect on the outer edge. Everytime you move it you get breakage. as far as taking a little bit off the pile like that as your taking the coal , the top will "roll down" All the crap (fines and smaller pieces) migrates to the coal below. Its a screening effect.

You'll even see the same effect when you get bulk delivery by coal truck if the chute is one place for the whole delivery. Where the end of the chute was is where you'll find most of the fines and smaller pieces. The breakage cannot be avoided but if the coal is really clean to begin with the breakage during delivery is minimal.

And agin its mostly nut and somewhat the pea coal. Rice and buck are not that much of problem,