The Arcade and Attica Railroad in WNY is investigating where other steam operators are getting their coal from. What type and sizes do you recommend for a smaller grate sized hand fired locomotive?

I bring the question up as they've had issues with locals over the amount of smoke produced. I'm not trying to start a discussion on the wrong or right of residents being upset about the smoke and the DEC/EPA, more on the quality of the coal in use. There has been much done there in the way of training of the firemen and functioning of the locomotive and it is understood that there is some of the smoke that can be controlled in these fashions.

The problem at the A&A is that they went several years with out steam, so when it returned, naturally there were new residents and those that had forgotten about the smoke that stirred up a the controversy again. They also had these trouble years ago and had an agreement with the DEC about the smoke in the village. In their efforts to control the problem, they've spent time on the training of the firemen as well as fire up procedures and it now gets back to the quality of the coal. In the past a brand of "smokeless" coal was purchased with some result. However, since the locomotive was returned to service, it does not appear that the coal is having the same qualities. It always smoked some, it just seems now that there is not enough heat produced and the consumption is up. Another thing that was done last season while starting the locomotive in the village was utilizing more wood during the start up procedure and until the locomotive left town. This has helped some and now the smoke issue has been raised at the end of the excursion run, outside of the village.

This brings me of the question of where others are purchasing their coal and what they are happy with. Now the idea is to balance the smoke/heat/consumption to an acceptable level to all. I look forward to reading the discussions.

Pat,

You might want to do a forum search, I seem to remember a lengthly discussion on this, here on RYPN, a year or so ago.

My suggestion would be to get whatever Dave Conrad gets for the Valley RR. It's almost entirely smokeless and from what I'm told it fires pretty well. It costs a few extra dollars I'm sure, but the money will be well worth it in the end.

Dave Crosby

Tower Fuels in Chicago which I believe is West Virginia coal.
Strasburg uses (or used) a coal within Pennsylvania somewhere, but I do not know what company it is purchased from.

Try Stanley Hall at East Broad Top:
http://www.ebtrr.com/contact.html
The Broad Top coal is decently high btu and famously low smoke.
http://www.coalcampusa.com/westpa/broadtop/broadtop.htm