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Steam Locomotives - Still part of the nations economy!
Author: Pdxrailtransit
Date: 11-19-2012 - 19:21
From the article "High Quality Western Bituminous & Metallurgical Coal Keeps Finding Homes Overseas."
Though 97% of the mine’s output is used by the cement industry, almost 2% of production finds a once familiar home in the fireboxes of regional steam locomotives. Taking an anachronistic turn, the No. 2 mine supplies close to 10,000 tpy to several steam-powered western tourist railroads, in particular the world famous Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge. Running almost year round along the spectacular Animas River, the railroad is justifiably rated as one of Colorado’s prime tourist attractions. In the decades that the two mines have operated, millions of vacationers have been taken on an unforgettably beautiful steam powered, coal-fired journey between the railroad’s namesake communities. Taking one step further back into the past, not only are the trains fueled by coal, all of the locomotives are hand fired: which means someone shovels that coal the whole way up and back. One wonders if in 2011, GCC King No. 2 has become America’s largest supplier of “real” railroad coal.
Though 97% of the mine’s output is used by the cement industry, almost 2% of production finds a once familiar home in the fireboxes of regional steam locomotives. Taking an anachronistic turn, the No. 2 mine supplies close to 10,000 tpy to several steam-powered western tourist railroads, in particular the world famous Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge. Running almost year round along the spectacular Animas River, the railroad is justifiably rated as one of Colorado’s prime tourist attractions. In the decades that the two mines have operated, millions of vacationers have been taken on an unforgettably beautiful steam powered, coal-fired journey between the railroad’s namesake communities. Taking one step further back into the past, not only are the trains fueled by coal, all of the locomotives are hand fired: which means someone shovels that coal the whole way up and back. One wonders if in 2011, GCC King No. 2 has become America’s largest supplier of “real” railroad coal.
| Subject | Written By | Date/Time (PST) |
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 Steam Locomotives - Still part of the nations economy! |
Pdxrailtransit | 11-19-2012 - 19:21 |
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Re: Steam Locomotives - Still part of the nations economy!
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KJ | 11-20-2012 - 00:25 |
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Re: Steam Locomotives - Still part of the nations economy!
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David Smith | 11-21-2012 - 16:29 |
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Re: Steam Locomotives - Still part of the nations economy!
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Durango | 11-22-2012 - 04:33 |