Coal supplies at Nine Elms

Right! We all know that the engines use coal but where did it come from? (I know it came out of the ground). Which pits supplied coal to Nine Elms? How often did it arrive? What happened to it when it got there? Were some supplies better than other?

Answers awaited with interest

JC

Wales? At a guess? I hope 34017 Ilfracombe can answer this one?

Thanks John!!

Coal at the Elms could be quite varied, there were times when 'coal eggs' were used. Not certain about actually collieries but there was some talk/mention of Kent coal from Bettshanger. Generally the supply was soft/lignacite coal. I never did see any hard/anthracite coal during my time at the depot. Soft coal was mostly, though not exclusively, from Wales, similarly hard coal was mostly from Yorks/Notts area. Hope this helps

Soft Coal from my experience is often used in smaller engines (Hence the amount of clinquering I have come across?? I of course could be some way off these factors?

Not related to Nine Elms, but it appears as though Coal Supplies up in the Midlands is getting a bit tight and they are having to get Russian Imported Coal...
Here is news on this; http://www.itv.com/news/central/2013-05-03/coal-crisis-in-the-midlands/

Andy