West Virginia Coal down South

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Bill Shields
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Re: West Virginia Coal down South

Post by Bill Shields »

That can be a very long recovery....been at it for 40 years with no real end in sight.
Too many things going on to bother listing them.
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Harold_V
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Re: West Virginia Coal down South

Post by Harold_V »

Sorry to hear it, Charlie. Get well soon!

H
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gwrdriver
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Re: West Virginia Coal down South

Post by gwrdriver »

That's not good news Charlie. One of the things my dear old engineer/farmer Dad taught me, when I was old enough to start helping, was "Lift with your legs son, lift with your legs", but that's easier said than done when moving stacked bagged goods.
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hoppercar
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Re: West Virginia Coal down South

Post by hoppercar »

I wouldn't recommend this Pennsylvania coal company......I have 20 bags, after cutting them open, and running it thru my sifter, it's 90 percent dust......
pat1027
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Re: West Virginia Coal down South

Post by pat1027 »

Black smiths like fines to help the coal in their forges clump up. If you get the black smith stuff it will come with a lot of fines in it. I scope it onto a 1/4" hardware cloth screen and give it a quick couple shakes. About 25% of it drops through. If I were to shake it longer more would get through. What is left over is on the small side but burns well. I think it would work really well in smaller locomotives. When I picked mine up there were a few bags of nut there so I grabbed those. No fines to speak of.
Steam Engine Dan
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Re: West Virginia Coal down South

Post by Steam Engine Dan »

pat1027 wrote: Thu Jul 15, 2021 5:09 pm Black smiths like fines to help the coal in their forges clump up. If you get the black smith stuff it will come with a lot of fines in it. I scope it onto a 1/4" hardware cloth screen and give it a quick couple shakes. About 25% of it drops through. If I were to shake it longer more would get through. What is left over is on the small side but burns well. I think it would work really well in smaller locomotives. When I picked mine up there were a few bags of nut there so I grabbed those. No fines to speak of.
that's what I do, luckily our sifter the holes are just the right size to get rid of the dust but keep the lumps. so after each little load that I can stand weight wise. I do it about 3 times, once no more dust is coming out of the bottom of the sifter then into the "running buckets" it goes. and it comes out dust free with lots of good lumps.

the key is sifting it really really good. yes it's a lot of work but as ive stated to lots of people. it really does pay off. my sifter is nothing more than an old metal tool drawer with holes. but has worked fantastically for 25 years. dad used it long before I was born and he taught me how to do it and now I enjoy it.
Mike Walsh
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Re: West Virginia Coal down South

Post by Mike Walsh »

I'll have to keep the comment about the fines being beneficial to blacksmiths. I am aware of one or two blacksmiths at my work, and my uncle is a blacksmith as well - I will have to set it aside for them!

I also like fines for "messy" runbys... Passengers don't, though - so I save the fines load-up of the firebox for empty runbys.
pat1027
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Re: West Virginia Coal down South

Post by pat1027 »

When the City Coal Yard was open they used to bag coal without fines for live steam buyers and used the fines they screened off when bagging for blacksmith's. Penn Keystone is calling it Blacksmith/Live Steam. It's good burning coal but if you get the dual use product I'll call it you will get a lot of fines.
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kcameron
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Re: West Virginia Coal down South

Post by kcameron »

It isn't that the fines are liked by the blacksmiths, but mixed in, they do help with the clumping, which we do like sometimes. But a pile of just fines doesn't work very well. When I do have some to use up I put them around the edge of the firepot and push them down the sides. They cook and coke up and do solidify somewhat. But real chunks are better.
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AMc
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Re: West Virginia Coal down South

Post by AMc »

Another coal source: Mountain Energy Resources 150 Coeburn Avenue Norton, VA 2763931037

This is a coal yard with different types of coal :stoker,nut,lump. They supply Tweetsie and Dollywood. A friend bought some for his 2-8-0 (1 1/2 scale) and is very satisfied. That’s all I know…
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kcameron
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Re: West Virginia Coal down South

Post by kcameron »

Is there a reference of the physical size or definition of the different coal sizes? Or does that vary between sources?
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Steam Engine Dan
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Re: West Virginia Coal down South

Post by Steam Engine Dan »

here is a chart for different sizes of anthracite hard coal. this also applies to bituminous as well. although the only common sizes with bituminous nowadays is mainly nut/stove coal or pea sized smithing coal. but the chart gives you an idea of different coal sizes
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Coal_Sizes%20%202.jpg
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