Running Bear's September 2025 Coffee Shop
- Thread starter bnsf971
- Start date
ModelRailroadForums.com is a free Model Railroad Discussion Forum and photo gallery. We cover all scales and sizes of model railroads. Online since 2002, it's one of the oldest and largest model railroad forums on the web. Whether you're a master model railroader or just getting started, you'll find something of interest here.
In U.S. rail history, anthracite was so important that entire railroads. The Reading Railroad and Lehigh Valley were built to haul it from Pennsylvania mines. Steam locomotives that burned anthracite needed special wide “Wooten fireboxes” to handle its slow‑burning nature.
Anthracite coal was popular in stoves, furnaces, and boilers, especially in areas with smoke‑control regulations
When I worked at the Baltimore Coal Piers (Curtis Bay & Consolidated Coal) Anthracite Coal was referred to as Hard Rock Coal. The Port of Baltimore is one of the largest coal export hubs in the United States, second only to Hampton Roads, Virginia. But Baltimore’s coal terminals are not major shippers of Anthracite Coal. They mainly handle bituminous coal from Northern Appalachia. Anthracite exports are relatively niche and usually routed through other East Coast ports closer to the Pennsylvania anthracite fields. Baltimore’s Curtis Bay and Consolidated Coal terminals are optimized for high‑volume Appalachian bituminous coal, not the smaller anthracite trade.
Coal is King or should be, but I'll leave it at that as Coal has become political in modern times.
Thanks all for the info!
I recognize the impact of burning coal. But it seems to me we should be able to find a way to cleanly burn it. I also recognize it is costly, but I think we should invest in the future to be 100% energy independent.
Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a commision from some of the links and ads shown on this website (Learn More Here)
- Status
KriegslokBR52
Well-Known Member
Yes, antracite burns very slow. Another reason for developing Wooten firebox was the ability to burn coal waste from the mines. So the antracite was actually mixed with culp; half coal, half stone.
Bruette
Well-Known Member
Anthracite coal is the hardest, highest‑grade form of coal often called hard coal or black diamond. It’s quite different from the softer, more common bituminous coal. Anthracite coal produces the most heat per unit of weight. Burns slowly and evenly, with the least amount of smoke or soot. It has the lowest sulfur, nitrogen, and volatile matter of all coal types. It can be difficult to ignite, but once burning it produces a short, blue, low smoke flame. In short, Anthracite is the cleanest, hottest‑burning coal.
In U.S. rail history, anthracite was so important that entire railroads. The Reading Railroad and Lehigh Valley were built to haul it from Pennsylvania mines. Steam locomotives that burned anthracite needed special wide “Wooten fireboxes” to handle its slow‑burning nature.
Anthracite coal was popular in stoves, furnaces, and boilers, especially in areas with smoke‑control regulations
When I worked at the Baltimore Coal Piers (Curtis Bay & Consolidated Coal) Anthracite Coal was referred to as Hard Rock Coal. The Port of Baltimore is one of the largest coal export hubs in the United States, second only to Hampton Roads, Virginia. But Baltimore’s coal terminals are not major shippers of Anthracite Coal. They mainly handle bituminous coal from Northern Appalachia. Anthracite exports are relatively niche and usually routed through other East Coast ports closer to the Pennsylvania anthracite fields. Baltimore’s Curtis Bay and Consolidated Coal terminals are optimized for high‑volume Appalachian bituminous coal, not the smaller anthracite trade.
Coal is King or should be, but I'll leave it at that as Coal has become political in modern times.
Bill Tidler Jr.
Retired N&W/NS Signalman
Good Monday morning! It's 68°F and mostly cloudy. 
Have a great day!
Have a great day!
troyphoto
Snarky Old Fart (in training)
Well, howdy there internet peeps and those hitting their asthma inhalers just from the talk of coal
It's Troy again.
Up at normal time. Showered and waiting on the wife. She has an annual Dr appointment this morning at 7:05, with the first visit to the newly relocated office. So I'm chauffeur. Driving in the dark and the rain is not her thing.
Wife is going to ask about going back on Hormone Replacement Therapy for postmenopause. She listened to all the hype on breast cancer links and wanted off as soon as possible. But she's been digging into the studies and weighing her options. She's dealing with other issues she didn't have when she was on the patch. So, we'll see how that goes over. She half-expects either a fight with the doc, or a referral to a specialist.
Orkin decided they wanted to send their tech out on Wednesday, when I have a couple of appointments elsewhere. So I had to reschedule. That was done online and seemed to go smoothly. We'll see if the tech shows up at the correct day and time.
Avoided the migraine all weekend. It started to wake up a couple of times when the weather was changing. The cat came running down to the basement as one started to tickle the brain, so it must have started to rain. Scaredy cat hides from rain.
The problem was that I'd just had a couple pieces of chocolate. And that could be a trigger too... I'm going with the weather, since the barometric pressure was shifting all day yesterday (and today). But, I'll the leave the chocolate be until tomorrow.
Going to have a rainy week, then good weekend
It's Troy again.
Up at normal time. Showered and waiting on the wife. She has an annual Dr appointment this morning at 7:05, with the first visit to the newly relocated office. So I'm chauffeur. Driving in the dark and the rain is not her thing.
Wife is going to ask about going back on Hormone Replacement Therapy for postmenopause. She listened to all the hype on breast cancer links and wanted off as soon as possible. But she's been digging into the studies and weighing her options. She's dealing with other issues she didn't have when she was on the patch. So, we'll see how that goes over. She half-expects either a fight with the doc, or a referral to a specialist.
Orkin decided they wanted to send their tech out on Wednesday, when I have a couple of appointments elsewhere. So I had to reschedule. That was done online and seemed to go smoothly. We'll see if the tech shows up at the correct day and time.
Avoided the migraine all weekend. It started to wake up a couple of times when the weather was changing. The cat came running down to the basement as one started to tickle the brain, so it must have started to rain. Scaredy cat hides from rain.
The problem was that I'd just had a couple pieces of chocolate. And that could be a trigger too... I'm going with the weather, since the barometric pressure was shifting all day yesterday (and today). But, I'll the leave the chocolate be until tomorrow.
Going to have a rainy week, then good weekend
migalyto
Well-Known Member
Good morning all!
Currently 61F heading up to a high of 81F. I see they have taken the rain out of the forecast.
Usual Monday chores around the house today. Other than that nothing earth shattering happening here.
Volleyball game is at home tonight so no travel involved.
Have a safe day everyone!
Currently 61F heading up to a high of 81F. I see they have taken the rain out of the forecast.
Usual Monday chores around the house today. Other than that nothing earth shattering happening here.
Volleyball game is at home tonight so no travel involved.
Have a safe day everyone!
Bruette
Well-Known Member
Good morning, Everybody!
No work for us today. My pretty little Angel was feeling like she was coming down with something yesterday. I insisted we stay home today. There was zero chance she would let me work alone. She worries too much about me and always keeps a close eye on me. I often wake up at night to find her looking at me. Especially when I have gone to bed with low blood pressure.
Instead of working I will be working on taxes. It's no fun but it must be done. I filed for an extension in April, and the deadline is fast approaching. It's not complicated, bt all the documentation is time consuming.
Have an enjoyable day Everybody!
No work for us today. My pretty little Angel was feeling like she was coming down with something yesterday. I insisted we stay home today. There was zero chance she would let me work alone. She worries too much about me and always keeps a close eye on me. I often wake up at night to find her looking at me. Especially when I have gone to bed with low blood pressure.
Instead of working I will be working on taxes. It's no fun but it must be done. I filed for an extension in April, and the deadline is fast approaching. It's not complicated, bt all the documentation is time consuming.
Have an enjoyable day Everybody!
Kusojiji
RANK AMATEURS OF THE MODEL RAILROAD FORM MEMBER
That's what I remember it being used with. I just saw a few videos of, like you said, how long it took to fire and how long it burned, but no mention of comparison with bituminous IRT heat, which is what I think steamers normally ran.
Larger the better in that case.
Thanks all for the info!
NYC_George
Well-Known Member
I just looked at my NY school tax bill that I have to pay today and realized they went up $500.00 this year. If I wasn't over 65 where I get a tax break, they would be another $2,600.00 added on to that. With the town and county taxes due January 1 of $4,500.00 if that doesn't go up, I'll be paying $10,000.00 in taxes this year. It's very difficult to live in NY where they love to hand out money to everyone who shows up here. Swal
Bruette
Well-Known Member
You bring to mind the Great Smog of London, a "perfect storm" December 5–9, 1952 It was caused by a deadly mix of weather conditions and heavy coal burning that trapped pollution over the city.
I recognize the impact of burning coal. But it seems to me we should be able to find a way to cleanly burn it. I also recognize it is costly, but I think we should invest in the future to be 100% energy independent.
traiNscale
Well-Known Member
i think i have to visit NY then
Bruette
Well-Known Member
i think i have to visit NY then
kbkchooch
Verified Human
Good morning gang!
60° and overcast, heading to a high of 75°. Looks like Troy's rain will be here tomorrow and last most of the rest of the week. Really we don't need it. Reservoirs here are all full and all the weatherguessers are saying this winter looks to be a repeat of 2012-2013 where we got walloped with back to back Nor'easters. Oh what fun!
Work beckons, BBL
60° and overcast, heading to a high of 75°. Looks like Troy's rain will be here tomorrow and last most of the rest of the week. Really we don't need it. Reservoirs here are all full and all the weatherguessers are saying this winter looks to be a repeat of 2012-2013 where we got walloped with back to back Nor'easters. Oh what fun!
Centralia Pennsylvania has had a fire under it since 1962.
Work beckons, BBL
Patrick
What, me worry?
Morning all,
63° and foggy as all heck. I miss the old times in Michigan when I'd hear the foghorn on the lake, but even at that I don't think they blow the foghorns any more.
Karl beat me to the Centralia PA answer, so I had to edit while I was still typing the message.
Have a great day everyone.
63° and foggy as all heck. I miss the old times in Michigan when I'd hear the foghorn on the lake, but even at that I don't think they blow the foghorns any more.
Karl beat me to the Centralia PA answer, so I had to edit while I was still typing the message.
Have a great day everyone.
Bruette
Well-Known Member
TLOC
Well-Known Member
Good morning. 58f degrees heading to 80???
Volleyball on the UW campus against Florida was exciting, sloppy VB but exciting. 17-25, 25-20, 25-22, 36-34 with the UW women winning. They didn’t announce the attendance but it looked like around 14,000 which is the money grab they were looking for. You know the term, grow the sport! Normally in the UW Fieldhouse it is a sold out impossible ticket for 8000 fans for about the last 12 seasons. The Badgers as they start the conference schedule Friday are a good young team. Not the normal top 5 ranked team in the NCAA but a good team. I’m thinking 3 or 4 in the conference and maybe #8-10 overall. I think we will see loses in the Fieldhouse we have not seen in years.
Measured up levels for the layout. 43” and 58” felt good to my new height of 5’9”. One of the guys is 6’2 and other was 6’0 and it was ok for them. I know one of the layouts we operate on has 46” and 60” levels and I like the layout. But when we set the shelves at those heights it didn’t feel right. Now to ponder what I really want to do as I have an adversion to losing a train in a helix. I’d like a nolix but I’m not sure how to hide it. Stay tuned, this ain’t over!
We did dinner yesterday out and it was good. One of the local “chains” before Covid had 6 locations. Last Spring they shut down the 16 year location in Wausau and November 8 they are shutting down the Hilldale location after 19 years. That is Terry’s favorite location. We used Terry’s birthday discount they send her every year for her September b-day. I asked the server and he said both shutdowns were because of lease disputes and the owners of the restaurant said enough is enough! I didn’t ask about the 1 closed during Covid. They will still have 3 Madison area locations but a new 1 somewhere in Sendai, Japan opening in 2/2026. Our server was one of the 1st hires back in the early 90’s at the still open original location.
Not sure what today will bring but what happens, happens. No plans are good sometimes
Be well
Volleyball on the UW campus against Florida was exciting, sloppy VB but exciting. 17-25, 25-20, 25-22, 36-34 with the UW women winning. They didn’t announce the attendance but it looked like around 14,000 which is the money grab they were looking for. You know the term, grow the sport! Normally in the UW Fieldhouse it is a sold out impossible ticket for 8000 fans for about the last 12 seasons. The Badgers as they start the conference schedule Friday are a good young team. Not the normal top 5 ranked team in the NCAA but a good team. I’m thinking 3 or 4 in the conference and maybe #8-10 overall. I think we will see loses in the Fieldhouse we have not seen in years.
Measured up levels for the layout. 43” and 58” felt good to my new height of 5’9”. One of the guys is 6’2 and other was 6’0 and it was ok for them. I know one of the layouts we operate on has 46” and 60” levels and I like the layout. But when we set the shelves at those heights it didn’t feel right. Now to ponder what I really want to do as I have an adversion to losing a train in a helix. I’d like a nolix but I’m not sure how to hide it. Stay tuned, this ain’t over!
We did dinner yesterday out and it was good. One of the local “chains” before Covid had 6 locations. Last Spring they shut down the 16 year location in Wausau and November 8 they are shutting down the Hilldale location after 19 years. That is Terry’s favorite location. We used Terry’s birthday discount they send her every year for her September b-day. I asked the server and he said both shutdowns were because of lease disputes and the owners of the restaurant said enough is enough! I didn’t ask about the 1 closed during Covid. They will still have 3 Madison area locations but a new 1 somewhere in Sendai, Japan opening in 2/2026. Our server was one of the 1st hires back in the early 90’s at the still open original location.
Not sure what today will bring but what happens, happens. No plans are good sometimes
Be well
Jaz avalley
Station cat
Is there a thread where you can upload other peoples work you like ‘ admire I have a bunch from shows
- Status
Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a commision from some of the links and ads shown on this website (Learn More Here)