In 1931, the Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company's constructed the Saint Nicholas coal breaker in Gilberton, PA. The breaker was one of the largest in the world, with over 20 miles of track and 1.5 miles of conveyors. Each half of the building operated independently, but together they produced a combined total of 12,500 tons of coal per day.
The breaker operated for a number of years before closing in 1963.