Eastern Railroad Discussion > CSX OCS at White Sulfur Springs

Apparently time to chat up coal people to make they ship CSX next year for their export orders, which is pretty much all the coal we do these days. But, hey! We'll take it!

Can export coal be financially viable, given union wages to miners & railroaders?  (I am glad they are union).  But miniing coal in West Virginia or Pennsylvania and then moving it to Baltimore or Norfolk makes the coal an expensive item.  And then you need to transload to ships and sail thousands of more miles to a destination.  I understand that eastern coal is higher in sulfur content, but burns much hotter in the boiler.  So, it is a good product.  Does the math work for export coal sales??

“Can export coal be financially viable?”

These folks believe so -

https://uscoalexports.org/2023/05/11/us-coal-exports-rail-volumes-at-multi-year-highs/

Posted from iPhone

Coal in the quantities in which it is exported is fabulously viable moneywise....Yes, eastern coal can be high in sulfur, and that's not a bad thing if you the customer wants it that way. But the piers at which we deposit the black diamonds can blend with several varieties to get a sulfur or other non carbon ratio you would require. And eastern coal is not just one thing, it can be had a various sulfur levels, so we ship all kinds that can be had so the pier can do the blending. 

https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/coal-use-in-europe-rises-in-shocking-reversal-1032621412

66

Much as I am a CSX shareholder, I favor ending all fossil fuel use--other than styrene scale model trains.   

I do not favor under any circumstance to end the use of any current fuels until and unless new forms of power are both plentiful, non stressful to the existing infracture...and basically ready to go...which presently it is not. And won't be in my lifetime. 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/aug/29/china-coal-plants-climate-goals-carbon

https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/india/need-dedicated-coal-corridors-to-meet-demand/ar-AA1gSI9u

hopefully our railroads will benefit from the increase in the demand for coal abroad..............

66

engineerinvirginia Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I do not favor under any circumstance to end the
> use of any current fuels until and unless new
> forms of power are both plentiful, non stressful
> to the existing infracture...and basically ready
> to go...which presently it is not. And won't be in
> my lifetime. 

and it looks like other countries want reliable, abundant, and the relatively inexpensive energy coal provides.........

66

goneon66 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> engineerinvirginia Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I do not favor under any circumstance to end
> the
> > use of any current fuels until and unless new
> > forms of power are both plentiful, non
> stressful
> > to the existing infracture...and basically
> ready
> > to go...which presently it is not. And won't be
> in
> > my lifetime. 
>
> and it looks like other countries want reliable,
> abundant, and the relatively inexpensive energy
> coal provides.........
>
> 66

That will be the signature on my first retirement check! Hooray!

BrynMawr Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Much as I am a CSX shareholder, I favor ending all
> fossil fuel use--other than styrene scale model
> trains.   

So... fossil fuels are bad if they are for me to heat my home or drive my car, but are good for you to play with your choo-choos - got it.

Certain coal is called metallurgical for making steel.  I don't the reason.  Does anybody know why ?

raytc1944 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Certain coal is called metallurgical for making
> steel.  I don't the reason.  Does anybody know
> why ?

It has x amount of pure carbon, sulfur and other volatiles so it will burn good and hot. The preferred recipe is called met coal beacuse that's what is commonly used for. 

Coal is generally lumped into two categories;  met coal and steam coal, based on the chemical composition.  Most Powder River Basin coal is steam coal while a lot of Appalachian coal is met coal.  In neither case is it exclusive, just generally speaking.  Also, I agree with Engineerinvirginia.  I'm a bit to the left of some folks on this board and I'm concerned about the environment (not that I will live enough longer to be seriously impacted) and support development of alternative sources as well as investments in things like carbon capture, but unless folks are willing to turn off their air conditioners, etc., then we need to hold off a bit on the rhetoric until we have the infrastructure in place to really go "carbon neutral".  In the meantime let's haul it as efficiently and as profitably as possible.
Gordon. (full disclosure:  I'm also a CSX stockholder)

Met coal is generally used to make coke for blast furnaces. Steam coal is used to fire boilers.

When is this train (symbol P002?) expected to depart White Sulphur Springs and what will the routing back to Jacksonville be?
Thanks in advance for any information!

SCAXEngr

SCAXEngr Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> When is this train (symbol P002?) expected to
> depart White Sulphur Springs and what will the
> routing back to Jacksonville be?
> Thanks in advance for any information!
>
> SCAXEngr

It's always P001, I don't know if they would ever need to split the equipment to make 2 trains! But nothing is impossible...neverthess, it figures to leave WSS this evening to return to Waycross...possibly to prepare for the santa train...as I am sure some of the coaches will be used for that. Routing may be the same as it came out (A line to 64 corridor)...but could be any number of ways if there are intermediate stops to make....I don't know how many customers we could gather in a crowd like the coal crowd in White Sulfur Springs. Actually any big presentation from marketing should take place at the Greenbrier, and while we don't own it anymore it's still a part of the extended family.

Yes. West Virginia Governor Jim Justice owns the Greenbrier through one of his investment holdings. He is also a substantial coal operator on his own.  The Greenbrier is a convenient place for corporate meetings, etc.