Anthracite Coal

[Fender]

Here in Tennessee, I have found that Tractor Supply offers 40# bags of anthracite coal at a very reasonable price ($6.00 per 40# bag). The anthracite is sold as stove coal for home heating. It has several very desirable characteristics: it doesn't clinker, has good heat output, it doesn't make much smoke, and is readily available. Now, I will admit that smoke is a matter of personal preference. I don't like a lot of smoke, but others will differ.
In using this coal, I have found that it doesn't work well by itself in my engine. it's harder to keep up steam pressure, and if you don't keep a constant draft on the fire, it will go out. However, when mixed with about 50% bituminous, it works very well!
Why bother with anthracite when good bituminous is available? Well, bituminous isn't all that available anymore, and isn't that good either. Most of the retail coal yards in the past have closed. What I have bought lately as "blacksmith coal" isn't all that great, and is pretty expensive. I bought about 2000# of really good coal about 2 years ago, and want to stretch that supply if possible.
Here's what I have learned burning the mix:
1. The anthracite works well in my locomotive when mixed about 50% with bituminous coal. The bituminous produces more flame ,and allows the fire to "recover" if it gets too low.
2. The anthracite burns clean and produces a lot of heat. It doesn't make clinkers.
3. The cinders from the stack are white, not black.
4. There is less ash in the ashpan.

[Bill Shields]

just like the stuff I heat my house with....

[Glenn Brooks]

Iam curious what size chunks of Anthacite are you burning? It might make a difference if you used smallish diameter, say 1" - 2" diameter coal. More exposed surface area to generate coal gas for ignition...

Also, I believe anthracite coal burners were built with larger fire boxes than bituminous engines, because of the different burning characteristics of the two coal types. I wonder if your loco fire box could be tweaked regarding air intake or with an arch to refine burning the Anthacite?

Glenn

[R Paul Carey]

I have two coal-burning live steam engines in 1-1/2" scale, and have experimented with anthracite over the past 10 years. The slow burning nature of anthracite, taken with its required greater (than bituminous) draft, makes it undesirable for these engines. Blending at various mixtures (all less than 50%) isn't worth the effort, IMO. As information, the Reading RR blended their anthracite, in services and at locations where smoke abatement was at issue, in percentages ranging between 10% and 50%, with planned anthracite usage managed to 15.5% overall.

Anthracite's qualities DO make it a very desirable fuel for home heating.

I also have a steam-powered 24' launch, with a condensing system, which regularly operates in open water on Chesapeake Bay.

Six years ago, we ran a burn test of anthracite on a cruise between a tributary of the Great Wicomico River and the home port on the Little Wicomico River, against a quartering headwind of about 10 kts in open water on the Bay. The length of that cruise was approximately 16 miles.

In normal operation, using seasoned hardwood, the launch steams easily, maintaining hull speed @7 kts between 95-120# (MAWP is 125#). With bituminous coal, she steams even better (as expected), but at a price, when the cleanup is considered.

On our anthracite test (100% anthracite), our highest working pressure was 65# which, though allowing safe headway at about 4 kts, was not satisfactory.

By coincidence, it was just this past weekend I cleaned out my anthracite supply (about 200#), delivering it all gratis to a local blacksmith, with no regrets!!

[Fender]

Currently the anthracite I'm blending in is about 1" chunks. I've tried the smaller pea-size, and it works a little better than the larger size when mixed, but the larger size is what Tractor Supply carries. I've not tried the "rice" size that Bill Shields burns in his house furnace. I really can't tell much difference between straight bituminous and the 50/50 mix, other than there is less clinkering burning the mix.

[Fred_V]

What is the difference in burning it at home compared to in a loco? What is the burner setup for home heating?

I have a bag of it too and couldn't use it in my Chloe.

[FLtenwheeler]

We tried some at the Ridge Live Steams track and found that burns very clean but is also very low BTU. I could not lift the safeties on my Allen 10-Wheeler.

Tim

[Fender]

Bill Shields can comment on the details of his setup. Basically the rice coal is fed into the furnace from a hopper onto a continuously-moving belt/grate, with the feed rate and belt speed controlled thermostatically.
The problem with anthracite is not the BTU content, but rather the burning rate. Bituminous coal has more volatile components, and tends to crack and break up when burning. With bituminous, more of the combustion occurs in the firebox, above the fire bed. The anthracite chunks don't break up much when burning. Anthracite is also has a very low ash content, but produces "white" cinders.
I'm not suggesting others should switch to the mix I'm using. Just saying what works and doesn't work for me, if they want to give it a try.

[SteveM]

Here's a link to the coal from Tractor Supply:
http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/produc ... _vc=-10005

Steve

[Loco112]

Does anyone know what a 50,000 typical OTR load would be priced at?

Has a club purchased a bulk load in the past? How did it go over with most involved.

Maybe a club could get 4-5 different sizes, and even split the type of coal in the load, to try to get something everyone could use.

[PeterCraymer]

I have recently tried some of the anthracite from TS as well. In the 10-wheeler, it has such a narrow firebox (between the drivers) that I found that mixing it was the only way to go as it will not burn by itself - for sure without a draft. It takes longer to light, so the planning is different. I did have to run the blower more and probably at a higher rate, but that was more than likely as a result of the difference in time it takes to get the coal burning and the steam pressure back up. The anthracite does burn cleaner and although I don't mind a little smoke, I don't like to be choking in the fog either! I will continue to mix this one bag I have in with the bituminous and then will decide if I will continue that process. Either way, in the next few weeks, I will be stopping in Columbus Ga. at Buck Coal and Ice and will be picking up 6 or more 50lb bags of stoker/blacksmith size bituminous. It comes from Alabama (not with a banjo on my knee!) and varies in impurities. Some burns clean and others have had some serious sulfur and other junk in it and that stuff smokes like crazy.

[Fender]

My next project is an 0-4-0 with a true Wooten (low and wide) firebox. It may work better with straight anthracite than the usual firebox configuration. If not, I'll just burn woot