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Fuel Out of Sawdust?

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  • Member since
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  • From: A State of Humidity
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Fuel Out of Sawdust?
Posted by wallyworld on Tuesday, October 3, 2006 7:34 AM
More browsing around..Interesting twist on an alternate fuel for steam locomotives that I had not come across before. You could keep boiler pressure up and smoke some ribs in the firebox. I wonder what else you could burn. Someone ( about a decade ago ) was seriously studying burning combustable landfill waste...imagine the smell..I can see why that one died on the vine.

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_4387502

Nothing is more fairly distributed than common sense: no one thinks he needs more of it than he already has.

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Northern New York
  • 25,010 posts
Posted by tree68 on Tuesday, October 3, 2006 7:56 AM

A pellet stove, only bigger!  Methinks they may have to look at a coating of some sort for the "logs" though.  Imagine a pile of them getting caught in the rain - instant mush. 

Really, once the capital cost of the machine that makes the 'pellets' is paid, it's almost a free resource.

Re: burning landfill waste - I recall a "Railroad Reading" story in either Trains or CT not long ago about an enterprising crew who threw some tires into the firebox.  Smoke?  I guess so!  Then there were those steel belts.  The grate shakers apparently weren't too happy...

 

LarryWhistling
Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) 
Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you
My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date
Come ride the rails with me!
There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...

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