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Cardiff Tidal - Aberthaw tanks?

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While watching a Locomaster DVD just now, it showed a 37 on the 10 or so TEA tanks on the Vale of Glamorgan line circa 1999. The liquid cargo is obviously needed for something at Aberthaw but I have not seen this working at Cardiff in recent years. If the flow has stopped, what was it needed for, seeing as Aberthaw power station is still in active operation?
 
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142094

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What type of power station was/is it? Some can run on a combined cycle of coal and oil.

Power stations can also take in/send out other things such as bulk powder for the production of plasterboard and also there are different chemicals needed if there is a flue-gas desulphurisation equipment fitted.
 

Hydro

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I'm sure some coal power stations used to use fuel oil for something or other? Maybe for diesel balancing generators?
 

142094

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I'm sure some coal power stations used to use fuel oil for something or other? Maybe for diesel balancing generators?

Might be for priming the furnace - I've had a tour of Drax and they do regular summer maintenance so some of the furnaces are offline. Starting them back up again isn't an easy job, so guess this could be the reason for the tanks.
 

heart-of-wessex

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There is an oil unloading point and coal unloading point at Aberthaw. The Locomaster Double O cab ride has a pair of 37s going to the Aberthaw oil unloading point...can't remember if it said why or what for though
 
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There is an oil unloading point and coal unloading point at Aberthaw. The Locomaster Double O cab ride has a pair of 37s going to the Aberthaw oil unloading point...can't remember if it said why or what for though

Yes, I have seen that great DVD. I still haven't taken notice what this working is or was. Anyone care to describe what the tanks were for at Aberthaw???
 

33056

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Might be for priming the furnace - I've had a tour of Drax and they do regular summer maintenance so some of the furnaces are offline. Starting them back up again isn't an easy job, so guess this could be the reason for the tanks.
Is the correct answer. Don't know how often it runs, not very frequently; in this picture I took in 1994 is was running with a "Z" headcode and was served from Minimet in Cardiff Docks.
 

Pacerpilot

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Again, I have no idea what the Oil is for but its run at least twice this month. I cant remember exactly which days, but Ive seen it on the middle roads at Cardiff Central twice, 66 hauled on both occasions.
 

trainfanatic

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Aberthaw, like many of its ilk, requires copious amounts of Heavy Fuel Oil to start its boilers. Only when certain operating parameters are met will coal in finer than face powder form, will beintroduced to the furnace. The boilers also require oil burners to be started if the number of coal crushing mills falls below a certain amount. This is for main coal flame stabilisation and usually occurs if the generator load drops to around 300MW.

I have many happy memories of commissioning oil burners at Aberthaw.....
 

Pacerpilot

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Superb....thanks for that. Ive seen the train run countless times but had no idea what the oil was used for.
 
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