Coal Vs Oil 2016

Here is a better question, why the hell are we even discussing oil on a g-- d--- coal forum to begin with SCRAPPER

I like the nice quite operation of my boiler. The oil boilers is load and smells up the basement.

I cancelled my oil contract with Suburban Propain and I am waiting for my refund on the prepaid Balance as I can use that money for something else like bills or myself as I want to get back in to model railroading again. I have to have my roof replaced and fixed so............................................................

All I have to do is invest in two 5-gallon safety cans for Kerosene and I can have it on hand to keep the tank filled if and when I need to burn oil.

The oil side of my Keystoker KAA-4-1 using the original Riello model 40 burner I had is much louder than my Buderus Logana G205 was but as the firebox is bigger I would expect that. It heats up fast for sure and I will reset the boiler bypass valve to keep more heat in the boiler when or if I burn any oil this year.

The new boiler KAA-4-1 has 22 more gallons of water not including the heating loop and the 10 gallons of water in the steel expansion tank.

All I have to do is pay put a down payment on 4 more tons of Kimmels Rice Coal and purchase the replacement aquastat and low water cut off and I will be all set for the coming heating season.

I am still waiting on Keystoker to mail me a new updated Wiring and plumbing diagram.

I more than my share of bumps in the road but thanks to Mario Lemieux helping me last year we are going to be OK.

Hey, a fellow model railroader. I'm treasurer of our club.
http://www.slmrc.com
If you're ever down this way, we have open house the first weekend after thanksgiving until the middle of January. Dennis

pintoplumber wrote:Hey, a fellow model railroader. I'm treasurer of our club.
http://www.slmrc.com
If you're ever down this way, we have open house the first weekend after thanksgiving until the middle of January. Dennis

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Hello Dennis,

I am glad to know there is a fellow Model Railroader on the board. I hope to model an N Scale 1980's version of Stevens Pass using the Great Northern 1893 route across the mountains on Stevens Pass and the mountain route above Lac Megantic using switchbacks constructed using modern methods.

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This topic deserves it's own thread. Not sure about how it'll be accepted on a Coal forum, but I think it has relevancy.
I myself, who was never been involved with the RRs, (it was a tad after my time of the 60s), always had a fascination with that business.
Years ago, I began researching the New Haven line, and was "hugely" interested in building an HO layout in my basement, dedicated to the line running from New Haven, to Springfield Mass, with my little town of Windsor locks, being the focal point.
After years of train shows, and scrutinizing, I realized not only don't I have the $ and time to accomplish this, my little house doesn't even have the room. So that idea went into the scrap heap with other projects. But I do still enjoy seeing peoples layouts, (like the one above), and commend you on your efforts. I don't regret the time I spent following the hobby.

Hello joeq,

Have you ever considered N scale? N scale provides the most realistic operating scenes for the model railroader. Z scale lets the end user have a small layout under glass in the size of a coffee table.

lzaharis wrote:Hello joeq,

Have you ever considered N scale? N scale provides the most realistic operating scenes for the model railroader. Z scale lets the end user have a small layout under glass in the size of a coffee table.

Hello to you too Izzy,
I guess an N scale layout could have possibilities, now that you've "rekindled" my interest. I was at the Eastern States Expo train show years ago, and saw one of those coffee table displays, and it was very impressive. The details people put into their work sometimes is very impressive.
As for "coal vs oil", last winter was very mild here in the NE area, plus the fact the bottom fell out of the price of oil. But I still burned anthracite in my "newly acquired" antique Glenwood, mostly for the experience, trying to learn the stoves operating characteristics.
And as I've mentioned B4, location of a freestanding stove is everything. Mine isn't conducive to total comfort being on a main floor installation. Because of the "heat-rising" effect, a lot of the heat goes up the stairwell, to the bedroom hallways, (which is good in some respect), but some of the end rooms don't benefit, and especially the floors of the main living areas are cold, due to an unfinished basement. My cure for this malady will be to put a thermostat in one of the cold rooms, while bypassing the one in the main living area. In this arrangement, I'll still use coal as the main heating element, but when necessary, have the option of cranking up the thermostat in the cold areas, which will heat the floors because of the forced hot air ductwork in the cellar, and send some added heat to the end rooms.

The short sightedness of those with proven "long haul" oil reserves has merely breathed a few more years of life into the "short haul" fracked oil players. The better game for the middle east would have been to sit back and let the fracking industry run full steam ahead into its own rapid oblivion by letting it run wild with the lead. A lead it can't hold for the long haul. They merely needed to play turtle to frackings rabbit.

Oil and pro-pain prices never dropped enough to equal the BTU cost of coal here in CNY, much less be a savings over coal.

Paul

We need a thread like keep this for natural gas. This will be the third year I have used coal. And I have paid the same exact price for those 3 years. 254 a ton from Benjamin's lumber in MD. I'm not sure what or how to calculate the natural gas compared to the coal. But I'm sticking with coal just for the simple fact that when shtf in those middle eastern countries they won't have a barrel pointed at me & my family saying freeze or buy. Seen this too many times before. Hell it's just good business. Supply & demand. Who knows when/where the next cou will take place.

I will burn Anthracite. My Wife likes the Heat. Eventually I would love to have a Coal boiler installed in series with the oil burner. The new DS Machine boiler looks interesting.