‘Buy coal now’ – a warning is sounded to UK heritage lines
UK heritage lines are being urged to buy their steam coal stock now – before the price soars or it becomes unavailable.
On January 28, the Ffos-y-Fran mine near Merthyr Tydfil, the last supplier of UK-mined coal, stopped supplying lumped coal to the heritage sector.
The move came about because of a breakdown in the Ffos-y-Fran washing and grading plant which, with the mine already due to close later this year, is uneconomic to repair.
All coal mined at Ffos will now go as crushed granular material to the steel industry.
In a circular to Heritage Railway Association members, chief executive Steve Oates said: “The HRA is obviously very concerned about this situation and is working on your behalf to identify sources of coal suitable for steam locomotives. But we also need to make you aware of the current coal supply landscape and that it does have the potential to impact seriously on your operations and budgets in the very near future.”
Remaining stocks
Hargreaves, which was the main agent for supplying Ffos coal to the heritage and household market, said other coal is available, including the remaining stocks from Killoch in Scotland, which will last until Easter, and the remaining stocks of Shotton trebles, which the firm believes it can supply for the 2022 season.
Hargreaves has also indicated that it is working on securing Russian coal at some point this year, despite the recent doubling of prices from that country.
For the longer term, Hargreaves is working on developing a smokeless fuel named Trevithick’s Steaming Ovoids. It is still being trialled and is not yet available.
The HRA has held talks with the three main coal importers, Coal Products Ltd, Hatfields and Coastal Fuels Ltd. Hatfields and CFL have said that Columbian and Kazakhstan coal left over from the non-bagged domestic market is available.
However, both of these coals have a higher volatile content and are smokier as a consequence.
The North Yorkshire Moors Railway is trialling Columbiansourced coal and the Bure Valley Railway is understood to be trialling Kazakhstan coal.
Mr Oates added: “Obviously, the sudden loss of Ffos-y-Ffan coal to heritage steam feels potentially disastrous. While we knew supply was not indefinite, the immediacy of this change makes the situation for heritage steam much more challenging.”
100% increase
The HRA is recommending to all members needing coal for 2022 to buy it now and not leave it until the start of the season – and budget for at least a 100% increase.“Talk to the principal wholesalers/importers direct or, if you work through a local supplier, talk to them now, and make sure they are speaking with wholesalers and importers,”said Mr Oates.
While prepared to supply the heritage market, these firms will first be looking for certainty of demand and confirmed orders prior to buying in lumped coal.
Ecoal, produced by Coal Products Ltd, is being reconstituted and trialled for heritage steam use, but the firm’s original Ecoal product can still be supplied loose to railways. In December, the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway became one of the first narrow gauge lines to organise trials of various biofuels. Made out of 60% coal and 40% olive stones, Ecoal was tested in Kerr Stuart 0-6-0T No. 2451 of 1915 Axe against Welsh steam coal over two days. A further trial was held on January 22. An L&B spokesman said: “The results were encouraging but need more work. Further trials will be held over the coming months.”