We ran across town to take in the anthrocite museum and coal mine tour - missed the last tour by a couple of minutes but took in the museum. Anthrocite is "hard coal" - almost %100 fuel, little of no material to create soot when burning - unlike dirty soft coal.
Initally roads were so bad the sleds were used in the winter to move cargo since the snow was a better surface...
To transport the coal they initially hauled it down to the river(s) built wooden barges and drifted down stream ...but it was a one way trip - no way to return the barge which would be sold for lumber once emptied of coal. Overtime gravity railways were built to get the coal to off the mountains down to the valley and then railroad companies sprung up to replace the barges. The two industries grew together - the railroads enabling the coal market to grow and the anthracite coal allowing the local Lacawanna line to market its passenger line with a model wearign a white - the coal being so clean the ladies would be able to travel in their white dress
You EEs will appreciate this - the first electric "mule" used to pull out coal.
and the motor...
So far i haven't ended up in any emergency rooms this trip - if so hopefullythey've advanced beyond this.
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