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Coal in crisis?

But when it comes to steam engines we can’t do anything without coal – and getting decent coal for steam engines at the moment seems to be something of a lottery.

It would be interesting to learn how you are coping with your coal requirements around the country. Roy Barratt at Claymills Pumping Station wrote “Daw Mill is the largest British deep mine but we just can’t cope with the low ash fusion temperature of its coal. It clinkers and wrecks bars – and at £1000 a set we can’t afford this. Thoresby has been excellent but all their output is now going to power stations and none of it is being graded as washed singles. UKcoal has rebranded its sales arm as coal4energy (as 60 per cent of their sales is met from foreign imports) so they can’t really continue to call themselves UKcoal.”

The demand for coal as a fuel by British industry is still falling so goodness knows what will happen in the future. Of course we are continually being told that the UK still has very large coal reserves but a lot of this is difficult to mine and at the present time it just doesn’t seem economically viable to extract it.

So what’s happening in Wales? Last year the Brecon Mountain Railway made national headlines when it said that it has to have coal delivered from 3000 miles away from Eastern Europe (by road, sea and road) when it is located THREE miles from the Welsh Dry Steam Coal facility surface mine at Ffos Y fran. Due to daft local planning restrictions, coal must exit by rail only (to another washing and grading facility even though Ffos Y fran has this facility) and Brecon Mountain has no rail link to the outside world.

In early 2009 we were promised that there was enough coal at this location ‘for 13-14 years production’ and there is. It’s just that if you are not a power station (where the bulk of coal goes), then it's not easy to get any.

Extraction of Ffos Y fran coal and indeed ownership, is in the hands of Miller Argent (South Wales) Ltd – who in turn are owned by (no laughing at the back) BT Pensions Group. But marketing and sales of the stuff is in the hands of another company, Evans & Reid, who appear to be in liquidation and their assets frozen. Just last month a group of ‘green’ activists were arrested for blocking coal trains leaving the site for the power station.

Perhaps the Welsh Assembly could intervene, should they decide that this is a glimmer of industrial hope in a largely depressed area – or perhaps they don’t care?

There was plenty of coal available though at Carters Steam Fair when it celebrated 30 years at Pinkneys Green on 8-9 May. Five showman’s engines helped power the spectacle that is the traditional travelling fair on the village green.

This is just the sort of thing that made England great and the timeless appeal of the fair proves popular with the public and enthusiasts alike. The ‘show’ does of course belie the work required behind the scenes in maintenance and restoring other rides that are awaiting their turn in the queue but thanks guys and gals for giving so much pleasure.