Both my mother's Grandfather who moved with his wife in 1918 and 1919 from Western Ukraine and there son along with a family memeber on my father's side worked for St. Clair Coal Company.
Hi Chris. Thanks for posting this video! I grew up in St. Clair 60+ years ago and walked this rail line many times. The line by Vito's Grille is the former Reading RR Frackville Branch (Mill Creek Jct. near Palo Alto to Frackville and Bear Run Jct. near the former St. Nicholas Yard, also Reading RR). The line on the mountainside was the Pennsylvania RR Schuylkill Valley line from Philadelphia to Morea/Delano. The PRR tunnel is under the Harbor Freight store at the south end of the Fairlane Village Mall. The St. Clair side is open, but the Pottsville side was covered over decades ago. Check out the John Petchulis video series of the Katner brothers to see freights on both of these lines. Thank you!
We used to go to that Walmart a lot. Never was in the pizza place though. Never knew the history of the location. It's a nice little shopping center. Exciting to hear Moving in Stereo - The Cars
I wish I would have tried it when I lived in Pennsylvania. We would often drive up to the Walmart from Hamburg.. We would usually eat at the Hoss's in Cressona
if you go up the hill behind home despot...up in that area was an old wooded structure with a big wooden wheels,,and then you would come out on the burma road where everyone parks to ATV ride now
Were they using nut coal? Blaschak told me most pizzerias order stove. My smoker was made to burn wood and so far I got the best results putting down a bed of nut starting a fire, and then putting some barley on top. I've been going to modify the grates and try something a little different. I really just started with the nut because anything smaller would fall through the grates. I tried just burning nut but I couldn't get the airflow right for a nice even fire
@@coalcrackerchris I was thinking that! I have a spare fire-pot, stoker mechanism, blower for a 350. I almost welded up an adapter to hook it to the smoker but I kind of thought maybe 175000 BTUs or whatever they're rated was a bit Overkill. I'm sure I could use it on maybe one click, but it seems like a waste of a fire pot. My thought was more to copy the greats of a small hand fired stove or maybe just use a small hand fired stove for the fire chamber.
@@coalcrackerchris yeah then I could fix wagons and shoe horses LOL. My buddy down the street at the junkyard has a couple truck bodies full of coal-burning appliances of various sorts. I think I could use something small like maybe in Ajax number one or maybe some kind of other old railroad stove. All I'd have to do is attached the smoke stack to the meat smoking chamber. The firebox on the smoker now just bolts on the side of it with like four or six bolts so it would be easy enough to change back and forth
I heard that Walmart sinks a little bit each year because of the ground it sits on. Not sure how true that is. Pizza definitely looks good. I actually filmed that abandoned house across the street on 61 on my channel
I’ve been told by a good friend I’ve known since the 70’s who is a life long coal miner that there are definitely issues with that Walmart. He told me not long after it opened there were cracks in the floor and some of the ceiling girders started to twist because the building was settling uneven. The Fairlane Village Mall with Boscov’s is also built on ground that undermined. That mall was delayed in opening by at least a year because they hit a large coal vein when excavating and decided to surface mine it out before building the mall. Back in the 70’s when it opened you could see the evidence by the building that was Boscov’s Automotive store. I have no idea what’s in there now.
I've been researching this and I'm glad you made a vid on it becuse it proves my theory and thought. Thanks Also where/what website or sites do you find your pictures of been looking for them and haven't found one as accurate as yours
Links are in the desctiption. I also just type in St Clair history-images-visit page on any image. Kinda hit & miss. My email is chirsch54@gmail.com. keep in touch Ill send you picks of this place+ old maps of mines, and rr's in the area
Another interesting video 📸👍👍 Thanks for sharing
Glad you enjoyed it
Thank you for your videos ! I live in Schuylkill Haven. My Dad was born and raised in St Clair.
Thanks Chris. I'm glad to be a subscriber of your channel because you really do your homework on the history of the anthracite coal region.
Sometimes i miss a thing or two. Thanks for subscribing!! More vids to come
As usual, another great and informative video.... Thank you :) And your Youngstown Kitchen cabinets are truly awesome....
We use to stop in St. Claire when driving up from Philly going to Mt Carmel every summer .
Both my mother's Grandfather who moved with his wife in 1918 and 1919 from Western Ukraine and there son along with a family memeber on my father's side worked for St. Clair Coal Company.
Nice video
Hi Chris. Thanks for posting this video! I grew up in St. Clair 60+ years ago and walked this rail line many times. The line by Vito's Grille is the former Reading RR Frackville Branch (Mill Creek Jct. near Palo Alto to Frackville and Bear Run Jct. near the former St. Nicholas Yard, also Reading RR). The line on the mountainside was the Pennsylvania RR Schuylkill Valley line from Philadelphia to Morea/Delano. The PRR tunnel is under the Harbor Freight store at the south end of the Fairlane Village Mall. The St. Clair side is open, but the Pottsville side was covered over decades ago. Check out the John Petchulis video series of the Katner brothers to see freights on both of these lines. Thank you!
We used to go to that Walmart a lot. Never was in the pizza place though. Never knew the history of the location. It's a nice little shopping center. Exciting to hear Moving in Stereo - The Cars
I wish we could go back in time and see how it all really was
sweet vid. Thanks for sharing
Oh my, guess i am gonna have to go try this now. Thanks Chris. Lol. Great history digging as always.
There is even a rail trail that goes to frackville, and the pennsylvania rr remains
I wish I would have tried it when I lived in Pennsylvania. We would often drive up to the Walmart from Hamburg.. We would usually eat at the Hoss's in Cressona
I love there pizza I got one a couple days ago
nice vid that's where I live
if you go up the hill behind home despot...up in that area was an old wooded structure with a big wooden wheels,,and then you would come out on the burma road where everyone parks to ATV ride now
Cool. Im going to purchase a permit soon so i can go up there
Good video thanks. Enjoy your pizza
Were they using nut coal? Blaschak told me most pizzerias order stove. My smoker was made to burn wood and so far I got the best results putting down a bed of nut starting a fire, and then putting some barley on top.
I've been going to modify the grates and try something a little different. I really just started with the nut because anything smaller would fall through the grates. I tried just burning nut but I couldn't get the airflow right for a nice even fire
Chestnut ,with some rice and wood to start it
Emf grates should work and its a bowl shape
@@coalcrackerchris I was thinking that! I have a spare fire-pot, stoker mechanism, blower for a 350. I almost welded up an adapter to hook it to the smoker but I kind of thought maybe 175000 BTUs or whatever they're rated was a bit Overkill. I'm sure I could use it on maybe one click, but it seems like a waste of a fire pot.
My thought was more to copy the greats of a small hand fired stove or maybe just use a small hand fired stove for the fire chamber.
@@joecummings1260 smoker/forge?
@@coalcrackerchris yeah then I could fix wagons and shoe horses LOL. My buddy down the street at the junkyard has a couple truck bodies full of coal-burning appliances of various sorts. I think I could use something small like maybe in Ajax number one or maybe some kind of other old railroad stove. All I'd have to do is attached the smoke stack to the meat smoking chamber. The firebox on the smoker now just bolts on the side of it with like four or six bolts so it would be easy enough to change back and forth
I love it. Anthracite Pizza gave me the idea to smoke meats using anthracite and a little bit of hardwood
Nice looking pizza 🍕 😋
I heard that Walmart sinks a little bit each year because of the ground it sits on. Not sure how true that is. Pizza definitely looks good. I actually filmed that abandoned house across the street on 61 on my channel
That house gives me the creeps...dont know if homeless use it. The mines go right under walmart!
Really dude I'll have to check that out!!!
I’ve been told by a good friend I’ve known since the 70’s who is a life long coal miner that there are definitely issues with that Walmart. He told me not long after it opened there were cracks in the floor and some of the ceiling girders started to twist because the building was settling uneven.
The Fairlane Village Mall with Boscov’s is also built on ground that undermined. That mall was delayed in opening by at least a year because they hit a large coal vein when excavating and decided to surface mine it out before building the mall. Back in the 70’s when it opened you could see the evidence by the building that was Boscov’s Automotive store. I have no idea what’s in there now.
I've been researching this and I'm glad you made a vid on it becuse it proves my theory and thought. Thanks
Also where/what website or sites do you find your pictures of been looking for them and haven't found one as accurate as yours
Links are in the desctiption. I also just type in St Clair history-images-visit page on any image. Kinda hit & miss. My email is chirsch54@gmail.com. keep in touch
Ill send you picks of this place+ old maps of mines, and rr's in the area
Hope you liked the pizza 🍕
TWO THUMBS 👆👆
By
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Looks familiar!!
I gotta get back up to the skook to get pizza and do more exploring.
Let me know when