26/08/2025
Not All Manufactured Fuels Are the Same
We’ve been involved in the heritage steam world for a good few years now, offering alternatives to traditional lump coal. One common misconception is that all manufactured fuels are the same—this couldn’t be further from the truth. Experiences vary greatly depending on the product, and poor results with one fuel shouldn’t define expectations for all.
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Heritage Smokeless Steam Coal
This was the first smokeless manufactured fuel developed specifically for heritage steam by CPL, in partnership with operators across multiple heritage sectors. After extensive trials—covering not only performance but also by-products—the final blend was launched in late 2021.
• Heritage Rail: It has quickly become a popular coal alternative, delivering consistent results.
• Traction Engines: Results are more mixed. Being smokeless, it requires different firing techniques, particularly more primary air, and its response time can be slower than good-quality coal. However, under the right conditions, it maintains a higher heat output for longer than coal.
Feedback from traction operators particularly those who road steam led to the development of a non-smokeless version—CPL’s Coal Briquettes—designed to be more responsive and closer in performance to traditional coal.
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Coal Briquettes
Made from under- and oversized coal raw materials from our shipments, Coal briquettes provide a clean, uniform, and reliable product without the variability or contaminants (like stone) found in some lump coals.
• Popular across all heritage sectors.
• Although non-smokeless, customer feedback indicates it produces far less smoke compared to some poor-quality lump coals currently available.
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What Goes Into Our Fuels
Unlike some assumptions, we do not use bulking agents such as cement.
• Heritage Smokeless Steam Coal: A carefully balanced mix of anthracite, bituminous coal, petcoke (less than 20%), and between 1–5% resin binder.
• Coal Briquettes: Manufactured solely from bituminous coal with a resin binder.
During development of our heritage fuels, we paid close attention to key concerns such as sulphur, chlorine levels, and petcoke content, knowing these can negatively affect engines especially copper components and cause issues for smaller engines where the operator is close to the chimney. We keep these levels to a minimum and often far lower levels than that of coal and other manufactured fuels on the market.
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A Word of Caution on Other Manufactured Fuels
Some fuels marketed as “Steaming Ovoids” or “suitable for steam engines” are not designed for heritage steam. They are often standard off-the-shelf products from manufacturers specialising in petcoke-based fuels. To put this in to perspective an increasing number of domestic stove manufacturer warranties prohibit the use of fuels with more than 20% petcoke content. They do burn hot but can cause premature failure of metalwork.
• Typical petcoke content: 60–90%
• Often come with higher sulphur levels
• Increased risks for engines and operators
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👉 The takeaway: Not all manufactured fuels are the same. Our products have been developed in collaboration with heritage operators, specifically for steam, with performance, safety, and preservation in mind. As with any transition to a new fuel, some adjustment to firing habits is required by the operator to achieve the best results.
Yes, we want to supply you with our products—but more importantly, we want you to have a fuel you can rely on, backed by our ongoing commitment to listen, learn, and improve. Nothing is set in stone; development continues to evolve based on operator feedback and the needs of the heritage community. If you want to know more about our fuels email [email protected]
