Flying coal breaks UK trainspotter's leg in freak accident

Alan Walker · **Posted:** Thu Aug 28, 2014 5:30 pm

Alexander D. Mitchell IV wrote:

"Coal"???

I have a couple first-hand accounts of that run that said the so-called "fuel" supplied, a local variety of lignite, was effectively "barely flammable dirt." It would be on par with pumping diesel fuel into a sports car, or wet, "green" firewood into a wood stove.

I know what you're saying. Back while I was at TVRM, we occasionally got shipments of "coal" that, upon examination, appeared to be mostly slate or other non-combustibles. It got so bad at one point that we were rejecting loads.

Jim700 · **Posted:** Fri Aug 29, 2014 2:02 pm

Alexander D. Mitchell IV wrote:

I have a couple first-hand accounts of that run that said the so-called "fuel" supplied, a local variety of lignite, was effectively "barely flammable dirt." It would be on par with pumping diesel fuel into a sports car, or wet, "green" firewood into a wood stove.

Would any of your first-hand accounts happen to be from the 4472's operation in Montana? I heard many years ago that the BN 4102 (ex-SP&S 857) was used to assist the Flying Scotsman in Montana because it had received a very poor quality load of coal. Can you confirm that?

I put many miles on the 857 on the SP&S and the 4102 on the BN and I would really appreciate obtaining a copy of a picture of the 4102 pulling the 4472 if someone can supply it.

Bob Davis · **Joined:** Sat Aug 28, 2004 3:25 am **Posts:** 1025

Back in the old days, coal that had an excessive amount of rocks and dirt was called "real estate", and if it was full of sand it was "seashore". Either way, it was the bane of engine crews, who cursed the cheapskate managers who ordered this stuff.

Alan Walker · **Posted:** Fri Aug 29, 2014 4:02 pm

Bob Davis wrote:

Back in the old days, coal that had an excessive amount of rocks and dirt was called "real estate", and if it was full of sand it was "seashore". Either way, it was the bane of engine crews, who cursed the cheapskate managers who ordered this stuff.

Yep. We called it that, along with other unmentionable names. In our case, we were paying for the locomotive grade coal but the mine was trying to defraud us. They did so until enough engine crews complained that management looked into the matte.