It was a rather dirty fuel I recall. I don't know the complete formulation, how much they filtered or otherwise processed it, but it definitely included used sump oil from motor vehicles, with all its impurities. The railway asked for donations of used oil from visitors and supporters, so I doubt cost was the big issue. In the 1970s we used to stay in a cottage next to the Ffestiniog regularly, and I remember the black acrid smoke emitted clearly. Not continuous admittedly, but especially notable for a short time after the burners were turned on hard. I much prefer the clean light heating oil used by the single manned modern steam rack engines of the Brienz Rothorn line in Switzerland. Very similar to diesel apparently, so an e-fuel substitute should be plausible.
I recall back many years when they moved to light fuel in Switzerland they reckoned they could make oil-burning steam locos have emissions comparible with their then best diesel locos. Modern white (i.e. duty-paid) diesel at the pumps is already a set %age of biofuel..... perhaps biodiesel is an option to explore.
Germany are the fourth largest user of coal in the world and have around 130 years of usable strategic reserves, but somehow the "greenies" seem to have left them alone. Our own usable reserves are now negligible as virtually no mines have been adequately mothballed. Reliance on others for our energy needs is a folly, especially when we are sitting on vast amounts of the stuff, and especially at time like this. Technology is available to burn coal "cleanly" (ok, not on a steam loco!). Time for a change of tack.
Aye but as Germany is "known to be environmentally sound" they get a free pass with UK greenies...... as for clean-burn coal technology, I imagine most of the work has been consigned to deep archive or the bin. 30 years ago there was a lot of scientific papers and books in Cardiff City library for example, but somehow I doubt that material is available any more.
Other than Russia been out of the question now of supplying coal to the heritage steam railways, The 3 main countries who we can still buy coal off as imported are Khazakstan Columbia and Poland (I'm not sure if N, America or Australia could be included there also as coal importers for the U.K. heritage lines and 2 remaining steel Mills at scunthorpe and Port Talbot) I do believe reading on national preservation about the Severn valley railway who imported coal off Russia are now having to buy imported coal now off Khazakstan.
Dave S 56F
I remember about 20 years ago everyone was raving about "Eagle steam coal" from Poland- it wasn't too bad generally- I wonder what happened to that supply?
There was a story (which I can't now find again!) on Facebook a couple of days ago about a railway having just had a delivery of coal which will keep them going for most of the Summer. It wasn't one of the larger ones, either in gauge or length, but it looks like it does seem that there is coal available somewhere.
I've been reliably informed that some of the supply issue is down to bigger, richer Heritage railways buying up all that is available to secure their own supplies for the season, none left for others then.... that is anecdotal of course.
There are, or were until very recently, small scale underground mines in the Forest of Dean, Wales and around Alston/Weardale.
Long gone in Alston area (>10 years ago) and the small mines in Wales kind-of stopped after the Gleision tragedy in 2011.
Proud history of use as the fuel for stoves in kitchen cars before the dash to propane gas.
When I was a bairn, I lived in an old stone farmhouse in a remote area and we had a Trianco boiler which burned anthracite pellets- the Trianco was the best available technology for water/home heating. Went through 3 hoppers in 12 years (the sulphur in the coal causes corrosion). By the time the hopper needed replacing a 4th time we'd had enough, and moving to an oil-burning boiler was greeted with relief as we could go away somewhere overnight and not worry that the boiler would go out- the solid fuel boiler needed a couple of buckets of pellets tipping in every day, or at least 1 bucket when on low in summer. Heavy, dusty and dirty- even with the boiler in the outhouse. Had to take the ash out at least every other day and every day in winter.
By contrast, the oil-fired boiler was waaaay superior in all ways. No lugging heavy buckets of coal, no ashing out, just press a button to light it, cheaper, cleaner to store. (Oil is often better than propane gas for heating, but some households get propane as they use it for cooking too so that way it's only 1 tank, we did the maths on heating costs and went to oil rather than gas).
The Lackawanna RR used anthracite in its locos up to dieselization AFAIR and was known as the route of anthracite. Needless to say most of it came from mines owned by the railroad and was essentially a waste product. But it had the advantage that it burned very hot and cleanly with essentially no smoke, cinders, or ash. Yes, wide, shallow fireboxes were required. Anthracite is still mined to some extent in the US for specialty purposes and the reserves in the state of Pennsylvania are enormous. Last I checked it was priced around three times that of bituminous coal. wf.
Anthracite needs special hoppers/firebars as it burns hotter, and has a habit of being high sulphur content, so the combustion products include sulphurous acid. Which is why the Trianco boilers (built for firing anthracite) needed replacement hoppers (and grate bars) periodically. Lighting an anthracite fire is also something of a challenge, you need forced air to make it go. (Trianco boilers had an electric fan to draw air through).
I think moving to a light oil or biofuel for steam locos is probably inevitable.....
TPO
