> Pellets are just as easy as coal. These days, they are stoker-fired and > automated. Today's emphasis is on fuels that reduce greenhouse gases. It should be noted that a hundred years ago, the environmentalists (i.e. the anthracite railroads <g>) lobbied strongly agains the kinds of emmissions one could plainly see -- i.e. that of bituminous (and wood, for that matter). The growth of the trolley suburbs, and suburbs along electrified rail lines such as the NY Central, the New Haven, the NYW&B and the LIRR in New York or the Main Line in Philadelphia greatly increased the market for anthracite starting in the late 1890s and accelerating into the 1920s. This created a huge market for anthracite in the areas where it was sold had not existed previously. People wanted clean-burning anthracite rather than sooty bituminous in their new "country homes" on those nice 75x100 lots. I'd be interested to learn whether the early development at Shaker Heights required anthracite heating -- and if the Vans helped the Erie with this market. Anyone know? Cheers, Jim Guthrie ELHS #1296 The Erie Lackawanna Mailing List http://EL-List.railfan.net/ To Unsubscribe: http://Lists.Railfan.net/erielackunsub.html ------------------------------
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