Quick Question (on behalf of my Girlfriend)

[960012]

Shes Currently studying criminology and is doing some case study thingy on the miners strike in 1984 (dunno wat thats got to do with criminology but hey).

To quote her she'd like to know:

"why the trains stopped transporting Coal after 1981?"

I havnet got a clue lol, she then said that because of the miners strikes trains stopped running because they didnt need coal moved in large quanitiys and lorry was used.

Im really confused, as coal trains still run!

Can someone clear this up for me??

Cheers

Stephen

 

[class 313]

Well,

Coal trains still do certainly run!

 

[Tom]

They lessened in those years and during the miners strike, quite simply due to the lack of coal available for movement. The traffic never really regained after the strike.

 

[Oracle]

If I recall correctly the Miners used to use "secondary picketing", especially inthe 1973-4 Strike. The railway workers refused to carry coal in sympathy, something that dates back to for instance the 1926 General Strike. However by 1981 the reliance on coal for power generation had subsided, and by 1984 it was possible to turn up the gas and oil wicks in the latest generating stations and take up the fuel rods in the nuclear stations and bypass the coal-powered ones. If you cut out the demand, you don't need the trains. It's a sad fact of life in this country that we close things down apparently temporarily and then that's the end. Other countries take a more pragmatic view of reserving and preserving for the future "just in case".

Your GF may be studying the associated prosecutions that resulted from the '84 strike. Isn't that the one that Mr Scargill was arrested? Regrettably today it seems that imported coal is much cheaper than the black stuff we mine here. Incredible when you add in the shipping charges, port and discharging costs and rail transportation from the docks.

 

[960012]

Thanks lads of this, Has helped her on her way lol

Any more info would also be good!

 

[mbonwick]

You even have a girlfriend?










Take it as A JOKE!

 

[960012]

You even have a girlfriend?










Take it as A JOKE!

Yes, i do lol, i know tis a miricle but i do have one!

 

[devon_metro]

Well in south wales, they stopped as they used to take coal to the docks, to export, but as there was no where else to export to econmically they stopped!