Reply To: GPCS – is it the solution for poor coal

[Richard Coleby]

My only close experience of pulverised coal firing was with the forge furnaces at Derby Carriage and Wagon Works in the early sixties. It was a menace! Apart from heavy machinery seemingly liable to frequent breakdowns we had a couple of explosions in the system while I was working in the shop, luckily without injury. Even allowing for the fact that the machinery was pretty old I think that any application to a modern steam locomotive would be extremely difficult to get past the H&S authorities. The precautions necessary would be akin to flour mills for a start. They are also noisy in operation.