Coal?

76043

Western Thunderer
Down here in London I find I keep digging it up in the garden. There must have been a coal scuttle out there that wasn't very good at keeping it in.

The Cumbrian mine is coking coal for steel production.

As a Bluebell and L&B member I believe the sector is lobbying the Government about it, so let's hope a sensible solution can be found, not a let's import it so it makes us look good one.

Tony
 

oldravendale

Western Thunderer
Thanks for that, Tony. I'm sufficiently distant from the GCR management at the moment to be unaware of that, and as I don't subscribe to any of the preservation rags I've not picked it up from there either. I have, however, written a suitable paragraph in to my presentation for the June shindig to create what we'll call "a discussion". Importation of coal would be an absolute nonsense although I believe it's going on even now.

Let's modify our locos to run on wood pellets, then we'd be environmental and have no carbon footprint.

Zero carbon means that, in due course, our heritage diesels will have to learn to run on hydrogen as well. And (he says in less than total ignorance) how much does it cost in energy to produce usable amounts of hydrogen?

Brian
 

Wagonman

Western Thunderer
Zero carbon means that, in due course, our heritage diesels will have to learn to run on hydrogen as well. And (he says in less than total ignorance) how much does it cost in energy to produce usable amounts of hydrogen?

Brian
It depends on how the Hydrogen is produced: if it is produced by (wind-powered) electrolysis of water – Green Hydrogen – then its carbon footprint is effectively zero. If it is produced as a by-product of the oil industry – Blue Hydrogen I think it's called – then clearly not zero by any means.
 

oldravendale

Western Thunderer
It depends on how the Hydrogen is produced: if it is produced by (wind-powered) electrolysis of water – Green Hydrogen – then its carbon footprint is effectively zero. If it is produced as a by-product of the oil industry – Blue Hydrogen I think it's called – then clearly not zero by any means.
OK. Got that. But what about the carbon footprint involved in the manufacture of those wind turbines? There seems to be a misunderstanding that the power from them is "free". (I'm not for a moment suggesting that's your understanding). Well, it's not free - effectively the manufacture of the wind turbines, the transport of the raw materials and the machines themselves is a mortgage on tomorrow. When I've asked the question the power companies are very coy about providing a totally costed spread sheet from extracting the raw material to installation.

I'm sure, because I'm told it's so, that there is a net benefit. I just wish things were a bit more transparent.

Brian
 

PhilH

Western Thunderer
I feel sorry for anybody living in an apparently coal less wilderness who has to resort to - searching for it on the beach (?), nicking it from preserved railways or buying a few grams neatly crushed to size in a bag at some extortionate price (+ postage ?) - I got mine for a few quid in a bag from the local hardware store, probably more than I'll ever need. As for reducing it to size, just stick a lump in a strong plastic bag and smash it with a hammer.

As we seem to have wandered on to Green Energy:

Green Energy.jpg

Whether the figures are accurate or not is anybody's guess.
(The Thacker Pass Lithium Mine is a lithium clay mining development project in Humboldt County, Nevada, which is the largest known lithium deposit in the US and one of the largest in the world, and there has been some concerns and controversy about its effect on the local environment.)
 

Yorkshire Dave

Western Thunderer
(The Thacker Pass Lithium Mine is a lithium clay mining development project in Humboldt County, Nevada, which is the largest known lithium deposit in the US and one of the largest in the world, and there has been some concerns and controversy about its effect on the local environment.)

On this subject I've read recently there's been talk of mining lithium in Cornwall (some by re-opening the China Clay quarries) as it contains Europe's largest deposit.
 

Jordan

Mid-Western Thunderer
I have run out of coal for grinding up and sticking in coal spaces, who would have thought that living in a former centre of the coal mining industry

Down here in London I find I keep digging it up in the garden.
I found a few lumps in my garden too, a while back, and kept them for modelling purposes. Then again, digging them up here is no surprise - where I live in was also a centre for mining, and wasn't called the Black Country for nothing... ;)
 

Neil

Western Thunderer
As a leftie, eco hippy, can I ask that we knock all the contentious stuff on the head. Every fuel source has its compromises but some compromises are better than others. Up till now Western Thunder has been a welcome escape from the Guardian vs Daily Mail jousting tournament over politics and policy, someplace where the tribal allegiance is model making rather than left or right. Could we keep it that way please.
 

76043

Western Thunderer
I wonder if you could tell the difference between a left and right wing modeller's output? Might be fun trying, or not.
Tony
 

Nick Dunhill

Western Thunderer
I used to be a scientist so (unlike most politicians) understand thermodynamics. I owned and ran a vegetarian cafe in Sheffield for nearly 25 years, so that makes me part of the tofu eating, Guardian reading wokerati, and I have some sandals. A cyclist used to come into my cafe almost daily wearing a hi vis tabard that had 'The Zero Emissions Option' printed on the back of it. We had a very frank discussion about the laws of thermodynamics.
 
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Eastsidepilot

Western Thunderer
If you're prepared to pay for it traditional house coal is being advertised on line at the usual suspects, Ebay, Amazon and the like.
I'll probably buy a 10Kg bag and that will probably see me out !

Col.
 

Wagonman

Western Thunderer
I suppose this is the point at which I – as a Guardian-reading, leftie, vegetarian – have to fess up and admit to having a bunker full of coal at the start of winter. In mitigation I do live in an old, Grade II listed house, with no central heating, single glazed windows ... and an open fireplace. I also have a large collection of sweaters. Is this the time to go into business as an ethical coal merchant selling stuff that will never be burnt?
 

oldravendale

Western Thunderer
As a leftie, eco hippy, can I ask that we knock all the contentious stuff on the head. Every fuel source has its compromises but some compromises are better than others. Up till now Western Thunder has been a welcome escape from the Guardian vs Daily Mail jousting tournament over politics and policy, someplace where the tribal allegiance is model making rather than left or right. Could we keep it that way please.
Surely we are not being contentious, are we? We are a group of old and not so old buffers in a pub discussing the weather. I'll agree with you before this gets in to violent and vicious argument but as a discussion it's quite interesting. Sure it's off piste but we go down these occasional rabbit holes and always come up agreeing that we like playing trains.

Basically I think we find the current situation doesn't make sense so it's a debate to see what we can make out of it.

Brian
 

Nick Dunhill

Western Thunderer
In 68 we ditched well developed steam engines, with massive increases in efficiency and technology over a hundred odd years for the new era of diesels. They were underdeveloped and crap and couldn't meet the timetable.

Perhaps we're rushing to do the same with cars. I agree that well have to develope renewable energy sources and run electric vehicles but at the moment......and when did nuclear become a green energy source?
 
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