Back to loco firing again. I had time to look at some books over the weak-end. The D&H loco that had pulverized coal was the 1200 class e-6 alco 1916. /builders #55555. I think it lasted not more than 6 months. then was changed to coal on grates. See also loco cylp. 1930 pg. 458,1417,1418. btw the N&W ste. #2300 had a small turbine driving a forced draft fan. It looks like it worked well. See operaters and trouble shooters guide. chapter 5&6. bb

staybolt2@netscape.net

The Australians also had a pulverized coal fired locomotive, I believe in the 1950's, and it seems to have worked fairly well. As I recall, it burned "brown" coal (lignite). I have a copy of an article on it; I'll post details if I can find it.

David Wardale, who worked on improving steam locomotives in South Africa and China, and with American Coal Enterprises in the U.S., was very interested in testing this combustion method on locomotives. He covers this in his book "The Red Devil and Other Tales from the Age of Steam". In the early 80's, he discussed converting a South African locomotive to pulverized, or as he preferred "micronized" coal firing with a South African manufacturer of coal combustion equipment. Their engineers didn't see any particular problems with fitting their equipment to locomotive boilers. It may be that there have been significant improvements in the process and equipment in the years since the U.S. projects were attempted (or perhaps these South African engineers were just ignorant of previous attempts and the difficulties they faced).

Wardale thought micronized coal firing would have been the ultimate solution to making automatically controlled combustion practicable in a steam locomotive, which would have been required for a modern project such as the ACE 3000.

Hugh

> Back to loco firing again. I had time to
> look at some books over the weak-end. The
> D&H loco that had pulverized coal was
> the 1200 class e-6 alco 1916. /builders
> #55555. I think it lasted not more than 6
> months. then was changed to coal on grates.
> See also loco cylp. 1930 pg. 458,1417,1418.
> btw the N&W ste. #2300 had a small
> turbine driving a forced draft fan. It looks
> like it worked well. See operaters and
> trouble shooters guide. chapter 5&6. bb


The Ultimate Steam Page
whodom@awod.com

Victorian Railways converted 2 locos to pulverised brown coal firing. One was a X class 2-8-2, the other an R class 4-6-4. From what I heard from those who worked them, they steamed like a house on fire and made little smoke. The firing system ("stug") was imported from Germany who apparently also had PF locos. (Germany has extensive "brown coal" - or lignite deposits, as has Victoria)Most of Victorias power generation is from brown coal, burned as a powder. A real problem for the VR was that the powdered coal is highly explosive and required special handling. I understand the experiment started out both as a way to avoid reliance on imported black coal beset by union trouble in the pits and to use waste coal from the briquetting plant. The coal was originally "free for the taking" but when it was found to have a value, the price put on it was prohibitive and killed the project. I expect the extra equipment needed on the locos also played a part in its demise (not to mention the arrival of 26 Diesel locos)

> The Australians also had a pulverized coal
> fired locomotive, I believe in the 1950's,
> and it seems to have worked fairly well. As
> I recall, it burned "brown" coal
> (lignite). I have a copy of an article on
> it; I'll post details if I can find it.

> David Wardale, who worked on improving steam
> locomotives in South Africa and China, and
> with American Coal Enterprises in the U.S.,
> was very interested in testing this
> combustion method on locomotives. He covers
> this in his book "The Red Devil and
> Other Tales from the Age of Steam". In
> the early 80's, he discussed converting a
> South African locomotive to pulverized, or
> as he preferred "micronized" coal
> firing with a South African manufacturer of
> coal combustion equipment. Their engineers
> didn't see any particular problems with
> fitting their equipment to locomotive
> boilers. It may be that there have been
> significant improvements in the process and
> equipment in the years since the U.S.
> projects were attempted (or perhaps these
> South African engineers were just ignorant
> of previous attempts and the difficulties
> they faced).

> Wardale thought micronized coal firing would
> have been the ultimate solution to making
> automatically controlled combustion
> practicable in a steam locomotive, which
> would have been required for a modern
> project such as the ACE 3000.

> Hugh

The N&W 2300 actually used stoker-sized coal with standard BK stoker, steam spreader, and jets. It used a travelling type grate that operated at about 10ft/hr for continous ash discharge.

mjanssen@sunvalley.net