1. Home
  2. ⚙ Model Engineering in the UK
  3. Coal fired locos

Coal fired locos

A friend has a 16mm to the foot, 32mm gauge coal-fired loco which we try to use on an end to end five station layout, with full staff and token, belled between boxes, operation. Other locos on the line are battery, or gas fired. We find it difficult to keep up steam with the frequent holdups. We've always used anthracite but talking to a three and a half inch gauge owner recently I was told that anthracite needs too much blast and most people use ordinary household coal. I was astounded! Is this true please?

Ken.

Reply to
Ken Parkes
Loading thread data ...

The guys doing live steam at Donnington were using house coal. From memory of using anthracite in domestic boilers etc., it is a lot more difficult to light/keep alight than house coal, so it would seem to make sense to me.

Regards, Tony

Reply to
Tony Jeffree

At Isle of Wight MES we find the larger gauges are quite variable. Different locos (and different drivers) like different stuff. Try blagging a lump of steam coal from your nearest preserved railway, and give it a try!

Wilfrid

Reply to
Wilfrid Underwood

But they were traction engines. I certainly wouldn't burn household coal in my 3.5" and 5" gauge locos. I tried it once and the mess it left in the tubes was terrible - it hass too much tar.

Anthracite certainly burns well enough in small loco boilers as does Welsh Steam Coal. At Bournemouth we have some members burning Welsh Steam Coal, others on anthracite.

We recently had the gift of a load of free coal from the bottom of the old bunker at a school converted to oil. Terrible stuff to burn so we've all given up on it. Probably needs a constant draught rather thean the variable one from a loco.

T>

Reply to
Dick Ganderton

PolyTech Forum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.