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Loco Ash disposal

Discussion in 'Locomotive M.I.C.' started by olly5764, May 7, 2014.

  1. olly5764

    olly5764 Well-Known Member

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    Sorry this isn't a very interesting topic, however, it is one that is starting to cause some head stcratching at our railway, what I would like to know is how do different railways dispose of their loco ash? Obviously the old fashioned methods of disposal on site, such as tipping down the banks, building up areas for new sidings and filling in defunct cutting are a finite resource so what alternatives are out there?
     
  2. andrewtoplis

    andrewtoplis Well-Known Member

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    Will the local council let you dispose of it (for a price presumably)?
     
  3. olly5764

    olly5764 Well-Known Member

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    that is the problem, that sort of disposal is expensive hence why I am asking what other railways do.
     
  4. aldfort

    aldfort Well-Known Member

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    On the WSR it goes into big skips at BL and into a big pile at MD. I think the MD stuff is taken away by a contractor and may be recycled. Our CME would know the costs of disposal. It's waste to us but as has been said it can be recycled or used by others in the construction industry.
     
  5. olly5764

    olly5764 Well-Known Member

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    Yes that was what I was getting at, trying to find who could remove it, at what cost, and did anyone else have any novel suggestions.
     
  6. tor-cyan

    tor-cyan Well-Known Member

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    I have used ash from the GC’s loco dept on the paths on my allotment it kill the weeds dead,:) trouble is if it gets on the plants you want to grow it tends to kill those dead as well:( and a little ash goes a long way.

    So you could try local gardening/ allotment socs but I cannot see them wanting to take lorry loads of the stuff, but you never know maybe worth a couple of phone calls.


    Cheers

    Colin Green
     
  7. aldfort

    aldfort Well-Known Member

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    I'll ask tomorrow if I get time (early out of BL so time at MD is short) and post an answer.
     
  8. olly5764

    olly5764 Well-Known Member

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    cheers both
     
  9. Footbridge

    Footbridge Member

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    Taking off site may involve waste carriers licencing, it can get quite involved I imagine.

    I like the thought of volunteers putting it down their overall trouser legs and shuffling around the car park shaking it out like in the film The great Escape :rolleyes:
     
  10. chessie1

    chessie1 New Member

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    Any local farmers want it....they sometimes take it for paths etc., chucking in boggy bits or what have you. Worth a try.
     
  11. Steve

    Steve Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    If its got a use, it's not waste. If it is simply being tipped as a waste, even on your own land, then it brings a whole raft of legislative requirements into play.
     
  12. threelinkdave

    threelinkdave Well-Known Member

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    There used to be a market for power station bottom ash, the big bits, for the manufacture of breeze blocks. I dont know if breeze blocks are still used. I'll google
     
  13. ilvaporista

    ilvaporista Part of the furniture

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    It also makes for reasonable ballast for ground level miniature railway tracks but you have to watch what material you make the sleepers from.
     
  14. aldfort

    aldfort Well-Known Member

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    Sorry I did not get the chance to ask this week. OP suggest you contact the CME direct. His contact details are on the WSR web site.
     
  15. Avonside1563

    Avonside1563 Well-Known Member

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    A boat yard local to Foxfield quite often comes along and takes a few bags away. They use it to help seal up the gate planks for the dry docks. It's interesting to drop a shovel full into the water in front of the planks and watch the leaks dry up as it finds the gaps.
     
  16. Mark Calvert

    Mark Calvert New Member

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    We spread it about placed in the yard on the whole. However last year as part of some civils works we dug it up, loaded it into a skip and it was taken away. However, we had the stuff tested for contamination. It came back acceptable and the cost of disposal was around £10 a tonne.
     
  17. Steve

    Steve Resident of Nat Pres Friend

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    Yes, but we've run out of space to tip, now, Mark so any future ash you create will have to be exported!
     
  18. Mark Calvert

    Mark Calvert New Member

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    I've got this idea, we put the ash in our pockets, walk about and spread it out of our trousers when the Germans aren’t looking...
     
    richards and Wenlock like this.
  19. Robkitchuk

    Robkitchuk Member

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    Luckily being in the north east we just use it as ballast. just spread on the tracks, looks better than that granite rubbish...
     
  20. Neil_Scott

    Neil_Scott Part of the furniture

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    I was told, when I was younger, that it was the smokebox ash (very fine black/dark grey coloured ash) that was particularly effective as a weedkiller, do you know if that's true?
     

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