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Coal to Newcastle

Discussion in 'Narrow Gauge Railways' started by pjm, Sep 18, 2009.

  1. pjm

    pjm New Member

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    News story on BBC web site about Brecon not been able to have coal from amine 3 miles away

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/8260010.stm

    The most interesting part is the fact that they say Brecon is going to expand next year.
     
    pjm, Sep 18, 2009
    #1
  2. kscanes

    kscanes Resident of Nat Pres

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    Quoting a bit of the BBC story:

    "The Ffos-y-Fran opencast mine said ... <snip> It is the largest land reclamation site in western Europe."

    Is an opencast coal mine really the same thing as a land reclamation site? And if it is the largest land reclamation site in western Europe, is it also the largest opencast mine in western Europe? And if not, why not?
     
    kscanes, Sep 18, 2009
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  3. RalphW

    RalphW Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Administrator Friend

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    I think this is the relavent bit, "The road ban was implemented after people living near Ffos-y-Fran near Merthyr Tydfil fought the development".
    Reading somewhere else I understand that agreeing to move all the coal by rail was the only way that permission was given to extract the coal from the mine. Therefore to ship any out by road would break the agreement, yes it seems silly that a few loads could not be shipped out to the local railway, but unless the locals could be persuaded to allow it, there is not much that can be done.
     
    RalphW, Sep 18, 2009
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  4. triassic

    triassic Member

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    Could always build a railway to it
     
    triassic, Sep 18, 2009
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  5. Martin Perry

    Martin Perry Nat Pres stalwart Staff Member Moderator Friend

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    I think that if you include in your plan the return of some topsoil to the site after the coal has been extracted, then you can call it a 'land reclamation' site in the planning application.......
     
    Martin Perry, Sep 19, 2009
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  6. Richieboy

    Richieboy New Member

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    Surely the most interesting part of the story is the fact Brecon is going over to coal! I was sure they were oil last time I went there, all be it about 3 years ago.

    I hadn't even heard they were changing over. (OK, maybe I am just slow! !)

    I would have thought they could have coal from Yorkshire too, but that may be more expensive than the Russian.

    I have to say, we use Eastern European coal at the W&LLR, its quality is variable at best!
     
    Richieboy, Sep 21, 2009
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  7. Charobin

    Charobin Member

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    When I visited Brecon in late August '06, the Baldwin's driver said that the Baldwin was going out of service that winter for conversion to coal, with Graf Schwerin-Lowitz to remain on oil at least until the Baldwin was back in service. I imagine GS-L will now remain on oil for the foreseeable future, partly as the coal/oil price difference is not as great as it was, and partly as if, as stated in various media articles, the BMR wish to open the extension shortly then the workshops at Pant will surely be concentrating on getting a second large loco and second rake of carriages into service.


    Charlie
     
    Charobin, Sep 21, 2009
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