Can I use Steam Train coal in my fire at home???

The woodshed is getting a bit empty, but we have a steam railway across the field from us, the coal gets piled up againat a wall and a few bits roll away into the nearby footpath. So I am thinking this "liberated" coal may well be a goer.

Is steam train coal different to domestic coal? Will it blow up, kill me or do anything I wont like?

Anyone tried this?

How far are you planning on driving your house? You'll probably need to put in a decent sized water tank

phone up the rail line… "'scuze me sir, that coal that you have piled up over there.. what sort is that ?"

http://www.stovesonline.co.uk/coal-types.html

The only difference is that coal for trains will tend to be smaller pieces as in a boiler you want maximum surface area to burn the fuel quickly so you can shove more into the furnace.
For domestic you want bigger bits that take longer to burn.

That said it will be fine. Get a big pile of it and avoid prodding too much with a poker as if it gets air to it then it will burn much faster.

Choo Chooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!

Where do you live? Trumpton?

😕

it'll explode!! hey CTB didn't I win something once upon a time?

Still petty stealing CTB, however you word it 🙂

Steam coal will generally be better quality than the stuff that you put on your fire, but won't in any way be smokeless.

it is coal it will burn – no problems unless smokeless required

sounds good Jenny Agutter wil be along shortly to wave her knickers at you – fact

The coal that the steam train here uses is ruddy great big lumps! they fall off the tender on the curves and joints on the track, now and again I collect some for home but it usualy needs to be broken down a bit for the house, it all burns just fine!
PJ.

and a few bits roll away into the nearby footpath.

aided by a pointed stick ?

Watch out for Bernard Cribbins when you're liberating it though.

We use it all the time, though I don't have to liberate it. Where I have my workshop there are stored the biggest collection of steam ploughing engines in the UK and I just have to ask and I can have a sack of coal when ever I like.

CHB my mate (who has a steam engine) says that big coal is for engines, the small stuff is for your house.

Otherwise it gets blown up the chimney and sets peoples washing on fire.

i was under the impression that steam train coal was bigger….as it makes no difference on the size unless its microscopic…u should deffinatly pinch that coal…

SCottCheGG, that makes sense I suppose. I live on the railway line to ferrybridge powerstation, all the coal that goes there looks like small bits (The trains full of the stuff pass under a local bridge when I take the dog out for a walk). I suppose they have a chimley big enough not to worry about it blowing away.

Maybe they are big bits too, but just further away than I thought ;-(

We used to collect the stuff that fell off the trucks on the way out of the opencast mine and burn it (posh childhood me).

reminds me of an extract from Orwell's "The Road to WIgan Pier":

You meet men coming away, wheeling strange and wonderful home-made bicycles—bicycles made of rusty parts picked off refuse-tips, without saddles, without chains and almost always without tyres—across which are slung bags containing perhaps half a hundredweight of coal, fruit of half a day’s searching.

Some of the best bits here:
http://www.theorwellprize.co.uk/the-award/works/orwellessaywiganpierfood.aspx

Maybe they are big bits too, but just further away than I thought ;-(

Dougal – big cow, little cow.

on the size front, there's got to be an optimum size: too small and you've got no airflow throught the burning coal, too big and you've got less surface area to burn. Would have thought airflow would be comparatively more important in a furnace, so you'd tend to bigger pieces than in a domestic fire?

????

sv, well spotted ted. God I love being a priest.

The stuff for power stations is pulverised to make it burn faster, coal is coal, just the size of the lumps differs. If it is too big break it with a hammer.

The price they charge for the trips feel free my wife's grandad has probably paid for a year's worth of coal for you already this week on his trips on the line.

there are different grades of coal ranging from Lignites (brown coal) through house coals, steam coals all the way to Anthracite. The higher grade coal the less impurities in it and the hotter it burns. Anthracite is highest grade coal (and most expensive). Having said that no reason why you can't mix and match which coals you burn at home – if it's proper steam grade coal it'll be lovely and less smoky and sulphurous than standard house coal. The only reason you wouldn't ordinarily use it is cost.

Great stuff. I knew you lot would have the answer. Being a soft southerner i have never used the stuff before
merry Christmas
Charlie the Bikemonger – trumptons leading cycle purveyor

without saddles, without chains and almost always without tyres

Is this the new uber-niche?

This forum is amazing. Now I know stuff about coal:
1. There's a thriving steam industry in the UK
2. The various grades of coal – and how the burn
3. In fact most steam trains are large lumps, power stations use small/dust.

Amazing.

Better than wikipedia

I love the smell of a coal fire. We/parents used to have one untill we changed to gas. Much easier now with not worrying about the boiler going out and sweeping the chimney yearly.
Our coal was quite small, size of a raison I reckon

I used to think George Orwell was quite cool but it sounds like he's just another northerner hating cock. If I meet him, he's going to get a punch in the face.

everyone hates northerners. They're only tolerated because northern comedians can be quite quaint. I would have thought you might have got used to the feeling by now? 😉

the biggest collection of steam ploughing engines in the UK

given that one steam ploughing engine doesn't constitute a collection, I'm guessing there's two 😉

A guy who works a steam narrowboat near us thinks that they buy coal that has less sulfour in it to reduce the corrosion of the firebox/chimney/whatever.
So in theory it should extend the life of your "system" as well, marginally, if he knew what he was talking about 🙂

sulphpur content of coal does vary depending upon where its mined. There are many coals with many different compositions across the world. The only thing they all have in common is high carbon content.

I would have thought you might have got used to the feeling by now?

Never mind him. Can you imagine how I feel, exiled up here with Lowry's stick people?

It tends to whistle as it burns