Coal supply crisis for heritage steam trains

[@jonathanmaybury5698]

What they need is a heritage coal mine.

[@iliribardhyl7720]

These trains should be in an open museum not on the rails polluting the air these dirty machines.

[@samwhite1995]

@@iliribardhyl7720 your clearly clueless, the entire heritage steam sector accounts for 0.02% of the UK's co2 emissions. 0.02% is a negligible amount the national network gives out 1.4% by comparison. The impact of these lines closing far outweighs the miniscule emissions that they produce.

[@davidty2006]

@@iliribardhyl7720 A majority of our heritage fleet is on static display. and 25k tons a year isn't much compared to how many tons of oil do we go through a year? It's sure above 100k.

[@kentminiaturesteam8056]

Sadly, it is economically impossible and getting a licence agreed, hopefully something happends!

[@kentminiaturesteam8056]

@@samwhite1995 Tottally agree, someone with common sence, that's the problem lots of misguided and miss informed people out there.

[@xxfyrezgamerxx6279]

So sad to hear this, hope we find a solution.

[@nubnubs2840]

After closing our mines, unfortunately we'll probably end up importing inferior coal from abroad

[@handyandy6050]

Shame we're not a country sat on billions of tons of coal. ;-)

[@diddlebug7241]

Here in the U.S. Union Pacific has resurrected one of their Big Boy locomotives. When Big Boy was new in 1941 all were coal fired. During the rebuild process, engine 4014 was converted to burn #5 fuel oil and UP adds diesel, and used motor oil to the tender it’ll burn it. So here’s a solution; convert to burn liquid fuel. I’m sure there’s no problem blending off road #1 diesel and used motor oil in the tender.

[@wellingtonnorthjunction3911]

At Telford steam railway we have plenty of Coal but the only steamer we run except for polar express is a small 0-4-0 pecket tank engine but when we have an s160 or 5619 the coal can run dry so we use fresh wood from the side if the line or old rotted sleepers

[@michaelhart895]

The environment is such a worry they force the closure of a coal mine producing top quality steam coal to then import it thousands of miles away . Refuse planning permission to open a new special coking metallurgical coal mine for what’s left of our once world beating steel industry , so we import it from thousands of miles away . In the mean time the environment is of such concern vast swathes of mainly Englands countryside are being concreted over to build hideous bland housing estates full of over priced badly built houses, due to the mass immigration foisted on us by the same people who wave their green credentials in your face .

[@x4dd]

Blame Thatcher and the Tories for that one.

[@alexeykkk9557]

So sad to see this wonderful tradition dwindle. With no coal and wood from Russia, I think Poland and the Baltic states who have been calling for cutting off fuel supplies from Russia should supply the coal and wood instead.

[@davidty2006]

Doesn't help some idiots won't keep just 1 single coal mine open here for domestic use.

[@nubnubs2840]

We have many mines here producing some of the best coal and anthracite in the world. Our government closed them all down

[@nubnubs2840]

​@@davidty2006 exactly

[@rogerredding5269]

Why can't we reopen a couple of small mines in the UK that could supply good quality coal for the heritage railways around the UK ?why do we have to rely on coal from other countries which is mostly below standard anyway for our 🚂 loco's ? Puzzled ? When we have thousands of tons of the stuff in the country ?to supply our own needs ? .

[@davemchugh7187]

That's to bad. I think steam power is neat. The chugging, the steam escaping, the the visual mechanical action, the whistle and the basic while also being historic mechanics compared to the overly complicated mechanics of today. I don't like the heavy smoke but that could be dealt with say with with relatively minor changes I feel.

[@mikeblain9973]

Wood pellets might be a bit lower performance, but these trains are not run for performance anyway. Wood would be almost carbon neutral as well, so the old railways could become a lesson for the greens... learning how to coppice and crop wood.

[@A3Kr0n]

26,000 tons of coal each year is a lot to replace with wood pellets.

[@mikeblain9973]

@@A3Kr0n It would take about 6000 acres of poor quality land. Perhaps in Scottish mountains. Sheep could also graze around the trees. It could become a whole new industry, teaching the world.

[@Braveheart1984]

There's a new product being developed called biocoal. Take a look at CPL Ecoal on KZbin. It has been tested at 2 narrow gauge railways, and now a standard gauge line the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway.

[@nubnubs2840]

Pellets from north america shipped via huge tankers are far from carbon neutral

[@nubnubs2840]

​@@Braveheart1984 too expensive. 3 x the cost.

[@julianbettney9816]

Open the coal mine as a living museum for heritage supply

[@onestepbeyond5221]

Correct 👍 101%

[@davidty2006]

HMmm. Guess could get some old steam shovels there to operate in it. Or any old excavator or dump trucks. Maybe a loading station to load wagons for set heritage railways. Could work quite well. 2 ways to make money.

[@toolittletoolate1900]

Coal shortages yet we have loads reopen the coal mines the technology we have today is a lot better so it would be a lot safer

[@davidty2006]

Mhm. We just need 1 coal mine open at any time. a single mine to cover all our needs is great. Heck seen some comments suggesting it to be a heritage coal mine so it has a pratical use and can make some extra money.

[@neilsworkshopisaac8177]

The coal we use for steam engines is lump coal from wales which is the best there is for steam engines and burns relatively clean

[@evangiles17]

Get all the heritage railways to pool their money and buy a coal mine

[@RobertdMacGregor]

Councils won't let them

[@Braveheart1984]

@@RobertdMacGregor and the planning inspectorate

[@ChangesOneTim]

@@jonathanparle8429 Hard economic fact is the main obstacle. As market demand for the 'right kind of coal' declines, the case for keeping even just one productive steamcoal mine open becomes inviable. Of course, great if a case can be made for public subsidy to make up the financial shortfall but I wonder if anyone is seriously crunching the numbers....

[@SarahLB234]

That would be very sad indeed.

[@nocap2687]

Not Thomas😢

[@danielferstendig]

Its henrys special coal

[@Julian-vj2dq]

I live in the netherlands and the railways here use german coal maby importing that is a temporary solution

[@nubnubs2840]

Strange how a country with many mines producing some of the best coal in the world has no coal. Maybe we shouldnt have closed them. Germany is currently digging the largest mine ever, in europe, and we shut ours down

[@raylucas4307]

Bus driver; "We need to continue mining coal"! Me; "Your defense of coal sounds like the defense of horses when the locomotive was invented"!

[@michaelhart895]

Tree hugger , let’s not use coal in a few historical steam locomotives due to the pollution they cause , Me , “ your defence is typically brainless , didn’t the steam engine replace the windmill in 1776 thanks to James Watt . Rendering the windmill useless. 🤔😂

[@ORV1868]

Hunslet diesel locos?

[@timkahn2813]

treated human waste works too and is carbon equal. clean human poop works well.

[@DgurlSunshine]

EV IS TOXIC

[@robnewman6101]

They'll havet to use something else instead of coal. A new kind of Fual power. Looking at the Future.

[@bester36]

The Heritage railway can buy coal in Poland easily.

[@neilsworkshopisaac8177]

British coal is better and cleaner

[@californiadreamin8423]

Crisis !!

[@paulsamson6039]

Better open another coal mine.

[@davidty2006]

Just 1 more.

[@sam3346]

Welsh gov: let’s subsidise it for the trains

[@davidty2006]

Trains good. Train move stuff. Alot of stuff.

[@yeoldeseawitch]

@@davidty2006 heritage lines don't do anything useful

[@davidty2006]

@@yeoldeseawitch They bring tourists. tourists tend to pay money.

[@zyancuerdo8367]

@@yeoldeseawitch so the tourist industry useless great logic dunderhead

[@paradiseali47]

Try that coconut stuff

[@coolcat6103]

Another crisis?

[@alanb9337]

Run the trains on 'steam exploded wood pellets' from Alabama. If the combustion products do not corrode the train. Maybe for a few steam locos eventually a zero emission conversion. Remove firebox etc for batteries and hydrogen fuel cell plus electric motor.

[@babblo1389]

Coal trains are the sweetest thing to watch in our crazy times when nutty politicians want common folks to freeze in winter. We want coal up ❤️and utility prices down❤️ and Boris out (preferably in Rwanda)

[@Y3N1X]

Oh yeah why don’t we just still solar panels over grandmas grave aswell or build a wind turbine in the middle of stone henge or a nuclear reactor on top of Mount Rushmore 🤦‍♂️

[@jujuthehoms5482]

Good.

[@McShavey]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@thomasshaftoe461]

Used Eco coal instead

[@sKid-gh9ub]

That's being experimented with, but it will take time to develop the technology enough for that to work.

[@davidty2006]

Some railways are developing an interest in it. Tally-lynn have be doing trials with their narrow guage engines with the stuff. They normally don't go through alot like only a couple hundread tons a year max.

[@facitenonvictimarum]

Too bad, things are tough all over, live with it.

[@andyg3]

Not the answer

[@jujuthehoms5482]

@mulfredmodelrailway better pull up their socks and work hard to get a new job

[@facitenonvictimarum]

@@jonathanparle8429 Demonizing a demon is a good thing, especially a demon that's destroying life on Earth.

[@seo7409]

@@facitenonvictimarum a few heritage lines aren't gonna wreck the planet.

[@Up_fast]

@@facitenonvictimarum if anything a motorway causes more pollution than a heritage railway

[@aliancemd]

And let's get back on horses because of "heritage". Get over it people

[@PedroConejo1939]

Imagine if no-one ever endeavoured to save something they enjoyed.

[@michaelhart895]

Yes let’s pull down all the castles, stately homes ,cathedrals , churches , henges , destroy all of our history, art any old buildings etc etc , because it’s “ heritage “ get over it people. 🤡

[@sKid-gh9ub]

That's a completely irrelevant issue.

[@kiefergrossest4636]

This is not news there’s only a small number of people that even care about steam trains

[@ChangesOneTim]

@Kiefer Grossest Not true. A look at the visitor figures for the vast majority of Britain's heritage railways shows that they are among the biggest attractions in their respective areas.

[@Up_fast]

😡 Look at some statistics and come back to me

[@tominnis8353]

What about the environmental impact of Putin's war on Ukraine?

[@davidty2006]

Yes

[@elpasomark2336]

Polanski..

[@andall1212]

Time to park these beautiful machines in a museum. The world is moving on...

[@lorenzosdeadchannel]

Why do that if they can still work? What's the point of even having them if ones just have to stand there and look at them in a museum.

[@yeoldeseawitch]

@@lorenzosdeadchannel it cost so much money, time, resources and space to keep these archaic, outdated machines running. they must be retired to a museum, scrapped or sent to the bottom of the ocean to be used as coral reefs. and then the lines they ran on can be converted into bike paths or something.

[@kentminiaturesteam8056]

Why? What substantial evidence to say that a few hundred steam trains in the UK are destroying the planet? Lets get some perspective here! ;)

[@Braveheart1984]

@@kentminiaturesteam8056 it's a troll

[@matthewrix2164]

A little bit less pollution - whoop whoop 🙌

[@jonathanparry7824]

Muppet

[@Horton13]

A LOT of ignorance - bahhhh bahhhhh 🐑

[@andyg3]

The entire steam heritage movement accounts for 0.02% of the uks emissions. Absolutely nothing. And not worth making a fuss about

[@matthewrix2164]

@@andyg3 but those railway lines would make lovely cycle paths so we could all get fit - if only Dr Beeching we’re still alive 😀

[@andyg3]

@@matthewrix2164 😒

[@ljt3084]

Haven't they heard of Uber? Oh wait.. No they haven't heard of the 20th or 21st century yet..

[@ollie7373]

it's a heritage railway for a reason, tit

[@seo7409]

'heritage' railways. it's in the name.

[@yeoldeseawitch]

@@seo7409 exactly, its time to move on from the past.

[@seo7409]

@@yeoldeseawitch destroy the colosseum and put up a modern football stadium. more efficient.

[@yeoldeseawitch]

@@seo7409 the colosseum doesn't pollute the planet or cause any harm to the environment by simply operating steam locomotives do.

[@robmoon6442]

Crisis!! Lol.

[@arthurstube]

These trains are hardly full anyway and run monthly month service only rubbish

[@lorenzosdeadchannel]

Most heritage railways actually run daily. And on weekends especially they can be quite packed.

[@Scottish_Transport_Explorer]

This guy seems to know nothing about heritage railway's lol 😆😆

[@timkahn2813]

air dirt makers .

[@samwhite1995]

Incorrect

[@lorenzosdeadchannel]

Ding dong your opinion is wrong

[@marryjoh3537]

The burly authorization cytopathologically possess because bowl correlatively battle without a overwrought fang. abject, pathetic cardigan

[@dogzebra2708]

The solution would be for the EU, Un and USA, to forces Ukraine into negotiating a resolution, refuse Sweden and Finland entry into NATO, stop putting missile batteries all over eastern Europe. And stop giving the Russians a reason to attack what they see as hostile states on their border.

[@samwhite1995]

Think just getting rid of Putin would be more straightforward tbh