Re: 463 having a bad coal day

Bad coal can ruin your day. While not quite as bad as the pictured situation I've had a fire producing green flames - the fire irons were an interesting shape once I'd succeeded in cleaning the fire. Another occasion was "Defiant" (GWR Castle class 4 cylinder 4-6-0) with a tender full of dust and Oggy in the tender looking for lumps while I was trying (mostly successfully) to keep it hot. Record for losing grates - 2 in two days (7715) alleged rocket fuel coal but having seen the firebars afterwards I would swear that it was a dodgy batch............ you don't get bubbles in good castings!

G

Gavin

Linslade
Bedfordshire
UK

Garratt Locomotives
[www.beyergarrattlocos.co.uk]