Coal

That doesn't mean to say this coal will be any good. Generally, the older the coal, (geologically speaking), the more suitable it is for use in a steam loco, although this is very much a generalisation. Opencast mines are generally going to abstract coal near the surface and, again, as a generalisation, these are going to be younger and poorer quality coals. However, even old seams outcrop in places so it is possible to opencast suitable coal if the geological conditions are right. Let's hope they are!

 

The issue that we have is that our coal storage area only holds just over one lorry load, so we have to time it so it runs pretty well down each time. When you have locos with as differing demands for coal as a Bulleid pacific and 6695 (to take our most economical engine as an example) it sometimes takes a bit of planning.

 

Another reason for not running coal scoffers methinks!

PH. (Now heading for Latin America/Siberia etc!)

 

I quite agree; smaller engines are more fun as well!

 

Of course, if you fill the bunker of a Bulleid, you've probably got - based at least on our experience - about two or three days running before it is empty, just in case you do misjudge your coal delivery - not much fun for the loco crew, but possible. You don't have that in hand with a P tank!

Tom

 

Just out of interest, is the density/ friability a factor of depth below ground as well as compostion? i.e. opencast will always be more friable than deep mined? Clearly size and friablilty are of little interest to power stations, and I always assumed that that was where 99% of opencast was heading, little thinking that one day we could be taking supplies from that source.

B-T-W, I heard from a non-reliable source (mother-in-law in Cov) that the fire at Daw Mill was out, and from a more reliable source (local ex-miner) that the demolition was about to start any day now. Such is the world we live in. I also noted a week or so ago a large NR presence as I passed on a train - wonder if they were already severing the connection, though would have thought rail was ideal for taking out the carcass?

 

From the last batch of Daw Mill we had last summer, I'm not surprised the fire's out; its probably a solid layer of clinker now!

 

As I understand, you get a general progression to harder, less friable coals, with geological age - i.e. you start at peat, go through lignite and eventually end up at anthracite. In an ideal world, geological age would also correlate with depth, so harder coals would be at greater depth, but subsequent geological upheavals might upset that nice classification and bring a geologically very old layer near to the surface.

Disclaimer: I am not a geologist, nor a miner!

Tom

 

I'm not sure what you get when you ordered 'Das Mill' as I beleive it also acted as concentration point for other sources, which were washed and graded (and blended?) here, and this included imports.

For those interested it the composition of different coals historically, this is a great site. I know it's way out of date now, but knowing what worked back then can help when hunting for a fuel that will work now. http://www.bcura.org/coalbank.html

 

You're right about the coals getting harder with geological age with brown coals (lignite) being the youngest and softest and anthracite the oldest and hardest but this is different to what we mean when we talk about hard and soft coals. for soft, we really mean friable. I'm not sure what causes a coal to be more or less friable; it could be the amount of volatile matter but, on that basis , anthracite ought to be the most friable and it isn't. the 'soft' coals came from the Welsh, Somerset and Kent coalfields and the harder ones from the Midlands and Yorkshire.

 

According to the latest Railway Herald, Daw Mill colliery suffers from geographical problems (sic).

If it was in the wrong place, it wouldn't be called Daw Mill would it?

 

Ha ha - it was still just up the road last time I went that way.

 

From the Telegraph

and BBC News

Seems things aren't looking up as the Summer season approaches.....

 

BBC news has now picked up on the coal crisis at preserved steam railways. But I think everyone should take note what the driver said in the interview about the next generation not taking an interest our hobby. I think this is going to be tipping point for some railways with in the next ten to twenty years and not the shortage of coal which we are facing at this moment in time.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22681141

 

I'm never sure where this view comes from. Every railway I've ever volunteered on has always had plenty of young people involved and people in the middle-years of their life getting involved too.

 

To a degree he is probably right in that the next generation to his is roughly my generation (40's ish) and there are probably a good few like me who are more focused on brainwashing bringing up the next generation again of rail enthusiasts. I know in our house, if I told the boys I was heading off to say Didcot to "play trains" for the day and leaving them at home I'd find myself disowned! Similarly many of the teenagers and young 20's folk who are getting involved will go through career and family focused periods, but will hopefully like me intend to get back into things once the family is old enough to either join in or sustain their own interests. The other question of course is whether the older generation are actively encouraging their replacements or disparaging them and putting them off.

 

Moderators, there is probably an interesting discussion to be had here but perhaps split the thread from the original Coal question?

 

I think that it is perhaps more of a problem at the KWVR. I know a number of people who have expressed an interest in footplate work there and have effectively been discouraged. Getting on the footplate on the railway seems to be more a case of 'dead mans shoes'. I'm told that a very large number of drivers who were in at the beginning are still active and, until they hang up their boots, promotion is unlikely to happen.

 

I think he was probably encouraged to say this by some breathless London based BBC "reporter", because it's what fit's their metropolitan ideas.

 

Back to the coal issue. Thinking out side the box. Would there be a good commercial case for the larger preserved railways to joining together and buy one of the Scottish open cast mines. This would allow the railways an uninterrupted supply of coal and on a winder issue the price of coal could be stabilised for all preserved railways.