Coal

edsolis · Post by **edsolis** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 9:23 am

Hi,

As you know, there are several types of coal (lignite, anthracite, bituminous,etc.) and several sub-types of each depending on their properties.

In steam era, what coal the railway companies prefered?
They looked for a certain type or they only used the coal extracted next to their lines?

Cheers,

arabiandisco · Post by **arabiandisco** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 6:04 pm

They generally designed the locos around the coal that was readily available - the GWR for example designed their locos to run on welsh coal, which is about the highest quality there is. The LMS I think had Lancashire coal, which is of considerably lower quality, hence the bigger fireboxes etc, and hence GWR locos don't run very well on any old muck.

edsolis · Post by **edsolis** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 6:19 pm

Thank you arabiandisco.

Which type was/is the Welsh coal?

arabiandisco · Post by **arabiandisco** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 7:26 pm

I don't know the specifics of it, but it has the highest calorific value of just about any coal.

edsolis · Post by **edsolis** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 8:47 pm

Thanks.

ianmacmillan · Post by **ianmacmillan** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 8:50 pm

Try typing coal into google.

Post by **dorlan** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 8:52 pm

edsolis wrote:Thank you arabiandisco.

Which type was/is the Welsh coal?

Dry Welsh steam coal, which burns with little or no smoke. It is a semi-bituminous coal with about 14% volatile matter and 80% fixed
carbon.

Ian J

edsolis · Post by **edsolis** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 9:01 pm

dorlan wrote:Dry Welsh steam coal, which burns with little or no smoke. It is a semi-bituminous coal with about 14% volatile matter and 80% fixed
carbon.

Thank you dorlan for the specifics, Welsh coal was/is a very good coal.

salopiangrowler · Post by **salopiangrowler** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 10:17 pm

kept the house warm all day (And night)

my old grandad used to have to kill the fire as the boiler which used the fire to produce hot water used to rattle the house.

Welsh coal is formed in like a brick shape one lump would heat the house for a day.

the grannies on my mums side used to have it in there house too as firemen used to chuck a shovel load down the bank of the loop at shrewsbury where my gran used to live.

edsolis · Post by **edsolis** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 10:28 pm

...coal sweet coal.

AlistairW · Post by **AlistairW** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 9:26 am

edsolis wrote:...coal sweet coal.

lol now that’s an unhealthy obsession.

Post by **dorlan** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 9:58 am

AlistairW wrote:
edsolis wrote:...coal sweet coal.
lol now that’s an unhealthy obsession.

In the dim, distant past, I knew of a young child who used to eat it!

Ian J

allypally · Post by **allypally** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 10:08 am

Sign of the times that at the Great Central these days I believe we use Russian coal.

AlistairW · Post by **AlistairW** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 10:25 am

dorlan wrote:
AlistairW wrote:
edsolis wrote:...coal sweet coal.
lol now that’s an unhealthy obsession.
In the dim, distant past, I knew of a young child who used to eat it!

Ian J

LOL!

I heard it was high in vitamin C and reduces cholesterol.

ForburyLion · Post by **ForburyLion** » Sun Apr 01, 2007 10:52 am

I believe most trains in Britain were designed to run on black coal.

HTH