Loco Ash disposal

Sorry this isn't a very interesting topic, however, it is one that is starting to cause some head stcratching at our railway, what I would like to know is how do different railways dispose of their loco ash? Obviously the old fashioned methods of disposal on site, such as tipping down the banks, building up areas for new sidings and filling in defunct cutting are a finite resource so what alternatives are out there?

 

Will the local council let you dispose of it (for a price presumably)?

 

that is the problem, that sort of disposal is expensive hence why I am asking what other railways do.

 

On the WSR it goes into big skips at BL and into a big pile at MD. I think the MD stuff is taken away by a contractor and may be recycled. Our CME would know the costs of disposal. It's waste to us but as has been said it can be recycled or used by others in the construction industry.

 

Yes that was what I was getting at, trying to find who could remove it, at what cost, and did anyone else have any novel suggestions.

 

I have used ash from the GC’s loco dept on the paths on my allotment it kill the weeds dead, trouble is if it gets on the plants you want to grow it tends to kill those dead as well and a little ash goes a long way.

So you could try local gardening/ allotment socs but I cannot see them wanting to take lorry loads of the stuff, but you never know maybe worth a couple of phone calls.


Cheers

Colin Green

 

I'll ask tomorrow if I get time (early out of BL so time at MD is short) and post an answer.

 

cheers both

 

Taking off site may involve waste carriers licencing, it can get quite involved I imagine.

I like the thought of volunteers putting it down their overall trouser legs and shuffling around the car park shaking it out like in the film The great Escape

 

Any local farmers want it....they sometimes take it for paths etc., chucking in boggy bits or what have you. Worth a try.

 

If its got a use, it's not waste. If it is simply being tipped as a waste, even on your own land, then it brings a whole raft of legislative requirements into play.

 

There used to be a market for power station bottom ash, the big bits, for the manufacture of breeze blocks. I dont know if breeze blocks are still used. I'll google

 

It also makes for reasonable ballast for ground level miniature railway tracks but you have to watch what material you make the sleepers from.

 

Sorry I did not get the chance to ask this week. OP suggest you contact the CME direct. His contact details are on the WSR web site.

 

A boat yard local to Foxfield quite often comes along and takes a few bags away. They use it to help seal up the gate planks for the dry docks. It's interesting to drop a shovel full into the water in front of the planks and watch the leaks dry up as it finds the gaps.

 

We spread it about placed in the yard on the whole. However last year as part of some civils works we dug it up, loaded it into a skip and it was taken away. However, we had the stuff tested for contamination. It came back acceptable and the cost of disposal was around £10 a tonne.

 

Yes, but we've run out of space to tip, now, Mark so any future ash you create will have to be exported!

 

I've got this idea, we put the ash in our pockets, walk about and spread it out of our trousers when the Germans aren’t looking...

 

Luckily being in the north east we just use it as ballast. just spread on the tracks, looks better than that granite rubbish...

 

I was told, when I was younger, that it was the smokebox ash (very fine black/dark grey coloured ash) that was particularly effective as a weedkiller, do you know if that's true?