Anthracite and the Railroads

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DePippo79
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Post by DePippo79 » Tue. Dec. 02, 2014 3:03 pm

So I got myself a early Christmas gift. I think this has a place here. What good is the coal if you can't get it to market. Here's a preview of the video I just got. Got 5 minutes into the actual video and aleady great commentary and scenes of coal breakers. I got mine from "trainvideodepot.com" Matt


 
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Post by coalder » Tue. Dec. 02, 2014 4:35 pm

WOW!!!
Jim

 
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Post by Cap » Tue. Dec. 02, 2014 6:12 pm

I saw a Pennsylvania GG1 near the end of the video. Greatest of all Penn locomotives even if it was electric. IMO

I lived very close the NY to Philadelphia lines till I was 21. We called them the high speed lines. GG1's were seen everyday.
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Ashokin
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Post by Ashokin » Tue. Dec. 09, 2014 6:54 pm

Great video. I work for the railroad and heat with coal. You're right about the transportation end of coal heat. Hauling coal by truck has drastically changed where coal is burned. I live north of Baltimore, Md, and everyone used to heat with coal here. When we switched over from wood to coal, you'd have thought I had installed some kind of thermo-nuclear heating system the way people reacted. And we live within 100 miles of the coal yards.


 
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Post by samhill » Tue. Dec. 09, 2014 7:55 pm

Growing up in Western Pa. Pittsburgh area the locomotives used bit. I can recall seeing a single loco engine hauling the hot slag to the dump & once they converted to diesel-electric it would take three or more for the same pull. It's hard to believe that even with the maint. factor the steam loco's weren't cheaper to run.

 
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Post by Ashokin » Tue. Dec. 09, 2014 8:40 pm

When wages were cheaper, I suppose they were. But, the railroad I work on has a steam locomotive, and I would guess I spend as many hours working on it as it spends pulling trains. The diesels, you pretty much fire up and go. I figure it's like driving your car to work Monday to Friday, then having to spend the whole weekend working on it. I love steam engines, but they are a pain in the a@@. :D

 
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Post by samhill » Tue. Dec. 09, 2014 9:05 pm

Ash, I don't know if you ever ran across any or what the real name was but the steel mill had what we called thermos engines. It was a well insulated (probably asbestos) engine that they powered with steam from the boiler house. I'm fairly sure it would run an entire 8 hr. shift between fill-ups the only thing I didn't like is they were too quiet & if not careful could sneak up on you real quick.

 
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DePippo79
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Coal Size/Type: Anthracite. Stove and nut size.
Other Heating: Oil hot water.

Post by DePippo79 » Wed. Dec. 10, 2014 7:10 am

A well respected engineer and friend of mine use to tell stories about changing from diesel to electric in New Haven. Way before the Corridor was electrified to Boston. He said the GG1s would just hum. Glad you guys are interested in this stuff. More coming.
Matt


 
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Hand Fed Coal Furnace: Hitzer 82FA
Coal Size/Type: Nut, Stove, Pea, mostly Reading and Lehigh
Other Heating: Wood occasionally, Humphrey Radiantfire #31 parlor heater, Radiare Gas Bathroom Heater
Contact:

Post by Ashokin » Wed. Dec. 10, 2014 7:17 am

samhill wrote:Ash, I don't know if you ever ran across any or what the real name was but the steel mill had what we called thermos engines. It was a well insulated (probably asbestos) engine that they powered with steam from the boiler house. I'm fairly sure it would run an entire 8 hr. shift between fill-ups the only thing I didn't like is they were too quiet & if not careful could sneak up on you real quick.
The official term, I believe, was fireless locomotive. I've mostly heard them called tea kettles or pressure cookers here in southern pa.

 
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Coal Size/Type: Anthracite. Stove and nut size.
Other Heating: Oil hot water.

Post by DePippo79 » Wed. Dec. 10, 2014 7:20 am

GG1s in action. Still looking for historic pictures of Cedar Hill Yard.



Note the steam heat.
Matt

 
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Coal Size/Type: Anthracite. Stove and nut size.
Other Heating: Oil hot water.

Post by DePippo79 » Wed. Dec. 10, 2014 7:26 am

Fireless steam locomotive.



Matt

 
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Post by samhill » Wed. Dec. 10, 2014 11:13 am

That was them DP, must have cut up at least a half dozen of them. Thanks for the info.

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