European Railroad Discussion > Some UK coal over the years

Here in the UK, I'm still in Lockdown 2, so as I'm stuck at home, time for some scanning. I thought I'd have a look at some coal trains, now they're nearly history over here.
1. In August 2014, Hatfield Colliery was still producing coal. A train is passing through the loader, as a set of coal empties makes it way to Immingham for a load of imported coal.
2. Crossing the river Calder, just east of Wakefield, 66714 is in charge of imported coal from Hunterston to Drax Power station, in January 2016.
3. Eggborough Power Station, which closed in September 2018, was a 2,000MW coal fired station. GBRf 66735 is leaving with coal empties, which I was informed was the very last coal train.

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4. At South Kirkby colliery in 1990, class 56, 56074, is being loaded with reclaimed coal that will have been stockpiled for several years. Then I'm expected to burn it at work!! Coal traders would buy any crap if it's cheap!!
5. At Ferrybridge Power Station, it was nice to get some fresh air with a walk down to the 'coil oil' on night shifts. A Freightliner 66 is waiting for a relief crew with a train of empties.
6. A blast from the past - Toton Yard in 1981. A pair of class 20s have just arrived on another coal train. All seems to be wagon load coal for domestic and industrial distribution.
Thanks - chris UK.

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Very nice series, thanks for posting them.

John B

Great photos!  When did wagons for wagon load coal for domestic and industrial distribution using the small wagons painted for the numerous individual coal dealers disappear from British rails?

Lots of talk in the U.K. steam magazines about ending coal production. I'm surprised that hasn't gotten more coverage here. That could have a devastating effect on heritage railways who would be forced to import coal from more sensible countries or convert to oil burners. But wait, that is about to be banned as well. . Just today, PM Johnson or "Mr. Bumbles" as some of my English friends call him has called for no more gasoline cars to be produced after 2030. So you can see where the heads are at with these climate change alarmists. 

Thanks for sharing this series. The fuel people love to hate. Similar scenes back in the Appalachians. One pit shut down after the other.

I rode the Llangollen Railway in Wales back in 2012 and they said they were using Russian coal because even with the shipping it was cheaper that the domestic product.

Awesome pictures 55002. So is part of the problem in the UK that these mines are simply mined out? We have that problem here but of course over there some of those mines have had to been in operation a lot longer.

Jim

tq-07fan Wrote:
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> Awesome pictures 55002. So is part of the problem
> in the UK that these mines are simply mined out?
> We have that problem here but of course over there
> some of those mines have had to been in operation
> a lot longer.
>
> Jim

Thanks Jim. The main reason for the downturn was the emission requirements placed on the power industry. It was either fit scrubbers, or shut down. Deep coal in the UK tends to be high sulphur, which had to phased out. Some opencast is low sulphur, but imported low sulphur coal was cheaper! There is still plenty of high sulphur coal underground here in the UK.  chris uk

Sounds like here in Ohio. It has been years ago but I did actually study on it for a school paper. I remember that there was supposed to be coal with sulfur deposits up to the size of basketballs in some of the coal in our state.  

Jim

andersonb109 Wrote:
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> So you can see where the heads are at with these climate change alarmists. 

Coal plant scrubbers do NOT remove co2 emissions, they remove poisonous toxic waste.

I take it you have found a replacement for breathing?

There was no "Obama War On Coal" in Great Britain.  Do I really need to point out again that the price of renewable energy has fallen enough that coal can not compete? 

Brian