Just started noticing that the coal loads going through here appear to be coated with blue-ish stuff. Any ideas? For dust control or to keep it from freezing together? :question:
I don't have the slightest clue, though I know they're all equally filthy when it comes to climbing on the cars.. Especially when the coal dust gets damp.
Back in the 40's and 50's (maybe after that) there was a brand of coal from PA called Blue Coal. The mines coated the coal with some type of blue dye before shipping it to the dealers and advertised it as "Blue Coal" being "America's Finest Anthracite" Blue Coal has a checked background and is linked to Jimmy Hoffa and railroads for reasons other then hauling it The above is from Blue Coal's checkered past revealed in bankruptcy More info on Blue Coal can be found here I know I did not answer the OP's question, but it is related somehow Gary
While I can't say either way what the coating's purpose is, I can relate that there are significant issues with track deterioration in the Powder River Basin due to coal dust. I can also relate that taconite pellets that we haul from Toledo to 2 AK Steel mills is generally coated with an anti-freeze substance to help with the unloading process at the mills.
My only knowledge of Blue Coal is that my parents burned it in our house from 1929 until 1951 when they converted to oil. As said earlier, this has nothing to do with the OP's question, just an interesting memory of the home coal burning era.
Gary- I am a fan of Old Time Radio. ("OTR") Don't have a huge collection, maybe 20,00 individual shows. Amongst them, many mentions of Blue Coal as a sponsor, right in that time frame Hank noted. I actually have a couple of the Blue Coal Minstrels shows. Back on topic, I had not thought about what Rick suggested. That is certainly possible, especially given this time of year.
How does the process work, when the loads arrive at their destinations? There must be a simple way it is removed, if not some type of tarping?
Coating isn't that new. Couple years at least. BNSF spent a pretty penny fixing the coal dust ruined PBR track a few years ago and was highly motivated.
The track was setting on coal dust, there was NO ballast under the ties. The FRA told them to fix it up to standard or quit running trains.
