Today's diesel fuel delivery (500 gallons of off-road diesel) in Connecticut was at $5.35 per gallon, at 11:00 am. Our supplier said after 12 noon, it was going up by another 40+ cents per gallon.

Howard P.

This topic went off the rails quickly.

Perhaps some steam operators are re-thinking pending coal-to-oil conversions.

Just musing here. This new situation could be locked in for the time being. Perhaps advertising could be keyed in to the local market? Attract people, especially with families, who are looking for nearby attractions and short, affordable outings.
Special features promoting family days and kids days could be highlighted.
Self promotion such as -
"That treasure in your back yard."
"History right around the corner."
I suspect many tourist rail operations have an untapped local market.

Yeah Emmo, this thread is a major refinery fire just waiting to happen... LOL

At today's delivered price for good quality ( 12,000 btu, max. 5% ash, no fines) soft coal it pencils out to about $ 7.50 Gal. for the equivalent energy in diesel form. This does NOT include the cost of ash disposal.

Therefore unless diesel goes above $ 8/gal. and stays there running a steam locomotive on diesel is cheaper and far easier than coal. Facts are facts ( except on the FNC).

Ross Rowland

The Everett RR in Holidaysburg, PA just converted its little 2-6-0 #11 to oil firing from coal.
They cited “being a good neighbor” but we all know that finding locomotive grade bituminous, in the small quantity that a two or three trips per month operation like the Everett is, has become nearly impossible. Many more steam locomotives will be converted to oil.

Why use refined diesel when less refined heavy fuel oils work even better in steam locomotives? They ought to be less costly also, unless hard to find in a specific locality. Waste crankcase oils do pretty well also.....

The above refers of course to common atomizing burners rather than vaporizing, which even diesel will clog eventually.

I'm not quite seeing the math, but then again maybe not figuring correctly. In any case, upon a quick Google search (yes, taking Google at it's word, FWIW), I'm getting:
- 1 gal. of diesel fuel = 137,000 BTU's
- 1 ton of bituminous coal = 26,000,000 BTU's

...meaning 1 ton of coal equates to 190 gallons of diesel fuel.

We are currently seeing a coal cost of about $200 per ton, delivered. At that price it seems to me coal would be at a fiscal advantage once diesel fuel reached $1.05 per gallon. Or in other words, at present (again Googling, and of course subject to change at any moment in our modern world) diesel fuel is about 4 times more expensive than coal on a BTU basis.

Yes, you have the concern of ash disposal with coal as well - which by all rights should be no concern whatsoever, but I won't get into that politically charged rant....

-Erich Armpriester

Last year, 23% of new car sales in California were electric.

I’m guessing that one way to encourage electric car owners to visit your museum would be to install (Tesla or other) car charger.

We stayed in a place this winter where the local power company was installing electric car charging stations in the front yard of a restaurant, where people got their meal at the drive-thru, and could then charge their car while they ate their meal. We drove by a few days later and copper thieves had stolen all the charging cables.

PC

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Meanwhile, I just learned that the price of lump coal from our supplier has dropped by $10 a ton. And with the revamp of our solar electrical installation, we are looking at the next decade of free electricity.

It is so nice to have a compact steam operation!

Eric here's how I get to my numbers. We burned approx. 55 tons of coal to pull the 24 car long excursions trains from Hoboken to Port Jervis at track speed ( 79mph) roundtrip including 3 photo runbys ( 15mph,30mph,50mph) at Port Jervis.

We bought triple screened,oil washed 13,000 btu coal from a specific mine in Eastern KY. which today would run us $ 250/ton delivered to Hoboken. Thus 55 tons x$ 250= $ 13,750 in coal costs for one 210 mile round trip.

Based upon extensive real life operating experience with the 4449 and 844 we know that when converted to oil the 614 will consume ( on average) approx. 9 gallons a mile. Again that's on average, more like 14 gallons a mile when pulling hard and as little as 4 gallons a mile when drifting down a long river grade.

So, using the 9 gals. a mile x the 210 mile Pt. Jervis roundtrip = 1890 gallons. Wholesale off road diesel was readily available ( delivered) in small quantities @ $ 3.00/gal. until the whole Russian scare started. It's now about $ 5.50 gal. on the spot market ( as reported by Howard) although in today's trading crude oil took the biggest plung in a long while from the $ 130/barrel area yesterday to the $ 110 area today. Diesel will follow tomorrow.

Anyhow, for this exercise lets say the 614 converted to oil burned approx. 1900 gallons for the Port Jervis roundtrip at $ 3.00/gal. = $ 5,700 vs. $ 13,750 for coal. PLUS we can't any longer just dump the ashes at Hoboken in the gauge, rake them level and leave. We now have to collect them and have them trucked to an approved waste disposal site.

OK, if we paid $ 5/gal for the diesel x 1900 gallons = $ 9,500 still far cheaper than the $ 13,750 coal bill plus ash disposal.

OK, if we paid $ 7/gal. for the diesel x 1900 gallons= $ 13,300 still a little cheaper than the $ 13,750 coal bill plus ash disposal.

Yes and probably with a little effort we'll be able to line up a supplier who can sell us used French Fry oil like the GCRR uses at a discount to diesel or waste crankcase oil for its higher btu value and cheaper cost.

No doubt in my mind the over time nearly all active USA steamers will be oil burners not coal. Probably sooner than later.

Ross Rowland

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