Demolition work continues on the grand dame of coal castles, the St. Nicholas Breaker at Route 54 near Mahanoy City, 15 miles west of Tamaqua, seen here Sunday. "The St. Nick," as it was called, was built in 1931, opened

in 1932, and became the world's largest and most productive coal breaker. It closed in 1972. Northeast Industrial Services Corp. of Shamokin began partial dismantling of the massive building in 2013. Residents in the area say the slow demolition process includes salvaging of coal and valuable scrap metal.