First: Set the bar

Every now and then I come across something that stirs up something deep within. I have an affinity with the WWII era and post. Often I think how I am more suited to living back then. A moot thought, clearly.

Apparently there is a whole subculture of societal rejects conducting what they call UrbEx. Short for urban exploration. Online portrayals of these adventures are blown up and made out to be more than what they are. However the remnants of an old coal breaker struck me as it shut down in the early 1970s and has sat since. Less than an hour away, how did I not know about this prior?

What a tease. There it sits. Waiting for the world to pass it by. For being there for over forty years vacant Im sure its been a victim to juveniles and whatnot.

The surrounding area is a graveyard for extinct equipment. A little depressing. A man hid around the bulldozer. Probably up to the same thing as me. This place was very very attractive.

Theres actually a good six buildings on this location. First one was a small two story shack. Upon inspection, it clearly has been booby trapped. Silly kids.

This is where my imagination runs wild. Imaging this equipment functioning, churning out product, making the world spin as we know it. The place has been ransacked but a decent amount was left.

This conveyor ran down into the mines. I could see its collapsed at the end of the tunnel which is good as I wouldve had a strong urge to go down.

In the same area was another, albeit significantly larger, conveyor that ran up to the top of the big building. Hm.

Foot prints and a light at the end of the tunnel. Looks promising!

The sheer size of the chain is impressive when you think about how this is the same invention on a bicycle.

Getting near the top offers some views. Very few windows exist. Silly kids.

At the top was a labyrinth of machinery. Only a taste of what to come. Coal was brought up here in large chunks and was broken up into smaller and smaller pieces as it made its way down floor to floor.

First set of "breakers". Obviously has been dismantled. Makes you think of the Saw movies.

At the very top. Graffiti was kinda everywhere. Not surprising. I know if I grew up in the area I wouldve been here a lot. No graffiti though. Never interested me.

Time to start making my way down. Each floor was different, offering new imaginations as to how this behemoth functioned. Also presented challenges with broken staircases or completely missing.

Going down? Elevator shaft. Out of order.

Oh Im definitely going in there next! But dont want to get too far ahead of myself now. Still plenty to do here.

I thought this was nifty since I worked as an electrician. Never saw a bend quite like this. Considering it was built in the 1930s it made me think about how some things really dont change.

The place was designed to be primarily lit by natural causes. And that it was. Offered some really nice backlit opportunities.

Stairs everywhere! Agh! Choices!

It really was a paradise in here.

This may have very well been the only unbroken light bulb.

At the very bottom was this ominous pit. Need to hide a body?

Straight to the powerplant! Generators havent changed much. This building was more apocalyptic feeling due to the overgrowth. No matter how hard we try mother nature always wins. Plants grew in the oddest places and the roots slowly broke up the masonry.