Coal a question

Hi All

No prizes though.

Can someone tell me how much space 1 ton of coal would take up. I have limited storage and trying to figure out where to keep a good supply of coal without being crippled by transport!

The short answer, is quite a lot! The easiest way to think about it is that coal normally comes in 25kg bags, if you know the size of them - a ton is 40 of them!

Best wishes to all.

Simon

You could try and squeeze it into two of these:

http://www.diytools.co.uk/flatpacked-galvanised-coal-bunker-10cwt.html

So about 1.25 m3.

Martin

Lynn,

If stacked correctly 40 bags of coal (1 tonne) will fit onto a standard pallet stacked to about 1.5m high. That's how my last load of coal was delivered.

Paul

Hi Paul

Thank you. What is the size of a standard pallet though?

Hi lynn

1x1.25 m approximately or 3ft x 4ft in proper units.

Paul

Proper dimensions. Good lad!

Try and get Welsh dry steam coal though, the smell is divine, it has minimal ash and clinker, very low smoke and burns extremely well. Found some last year and without doubt it was the nicest stuff to use that I have ever tried. I think Holmes do it, ad is normally in OG but dont know how far north they go.

Cheers Kev.

Hi Kev

I am looking at Steam coal from Fergusson. Slightly cheaper than The Coal Man, Free delivery (Approx £50 to the far north from others) and a pile of fire lighters free. I am looking at small nuts but I think the large nuts would fit quite nicely as well.

The coal from Fergusson is also branded as Old Glory so appears to be of the correct location and vintage.

Hi Lynn

I have used the non-welsh "steam coal" for many years and it will happily do the job. It is though much inferior coal (normally foreign), the welsh stuff is so much better and it is not just the smell. It has a much greater calorific value so you will use less. The ash and clinker content is much lower.

I have used both on a narrowboat and where the welsh really works well is when the demand for steam changes so for example you are heading along a long lock free stretch with a big fire and then you get stuck and have to close the damper and perhaps open the firebox door. With the none welsh stuff the fire will cool leaving a nice lot of clinker. But the welsh gives hardly any. This will be just like at a rally where you stop after a run around.

I know this is not the answer you want! Finally as the calorfic content is higher you will use less welsh coal helping defray the extra cost.

Best wishes
Simon

Would certainly agree with Simon on his comments on how coal behaves with demand etc. Also even though stuff is branded as "steam coal" or even attributed to a certain brand it can be really horrid stuff to burn. Cant remember exactly which one I have had issue with in the past but I have different bags here some just house coal which is generally not too bad but probably cool and others "steam coal" for the heritage industry and some of those are like burning road tar!!! The most embarrasing amount of crap up the stack upsetting everyone for three or four streets!!!! Eyes streaming and difficulty breathing!!! I used some in the burner in the owrkshop a few weeks ago and that blew all over the neighbourhood. 40 bags will take a long time to get through.... I wouldnt think I have used 40 bags in total in fours years and I have done a lot of steaming.

Well that's Fergusson off the list. "Do not stock it" in all branches. Little of what is on the web site is held by local.

So it looks like The Coal man beckons.

Hi Lynn,

I have only had small models so never put in for a large quantity of coal, but it may be best to try a few bags form different suppliers before you go and order a pallet full, I could not think of anything worse than having bunkers full of coal that makes then engine a nightmare to run.

found this on TT

http://www.tractiontalkforum.com/showthread.php?t=13098&highlight=coal

Regards

Ryan

British is Best......buying Welsh steam coal also helps our own economy and the environment

Robfishman wrote:British is Best......buying Welsh steam coal also helps our own economy and the environment

Whilst I agree with the last post about using British coal is good for the UK economy burning coal could hardly be good for the environment Rob

Dear Mr Vapor,

If you do not burn coal, I take it you use electric to create the steam.

Which nicely gets me on to my hobby horse of electric vehicles, they are not green at all! I agree they are green at the pollution level in the location they are used, however, the electric has to be produced somewhere. In the UK this is mainly via burning coal or gas, to produce steam. This steam is then converted into electricity via spinning a turbine or generator. This electric is then transmitted around the UK via a maze of wires normally above ground causing a blot on the landscape. This is then plugged into a car to charge its batteries finally the battery is powering a motor to produce rotary motion which now drives the car. At every stage of this process there are efficiency looses so let's cut out the middle stages and improve efficiency this is green as you are getting the most out of the fuel you burn to directly propell the vehicle.

So burning oil / petrol in a internal combustion engine is much greener than an electric vehicle, with steam power burning coal next on the efficiency ladder.

Well that's my take on it and have now let off enough steam for this morning.

Ian

PS don't get me started on speed bumps!

Did you do all that in one breath??

Not quite, still in training to become a grumpy old f&$t

Ian/Mr. Vapour

Someting else to consider-----

You have to first make an electric car in orer to buy one, think of all the energy and the earths resources used to do that -steel, plastics heat and electricity, never mind battery manufacture!!!!!! Keep running a 5 year old car for another 5 years instead

Sorry, I am not a tree hugger (excuse me to all who are!!) but I could not resist adding a known argument to the debate - just got a Diesel Freeleander so not helping much myself.

Brian