In article ,
Chris.B wrote:
On Sunday, 24 May 2015 09:06:38 UTC+2, Mike Collins wrote:

Things aren't always what they seem. When British Railways abolished steam
engines the monitoring station at what is now Salford University measured a
big increase in atmospheric sulphur dioxide because it was no longer being
absorbed by the activated charcoal in the smoke from the railway engines.

That's interesting!
I'm a fan of steam but must allow that they do have a bad image where dirt is concerned.
Not to mention the damage to health caused by mining the coal.
Do the old covered stations [and the tunnels of course] still accumulate thick layers of soot?

Steam propulsion is banned throughout Scandinavia on electrified rail lines;
they can (barely, but still) measure the increase in leakege current increase
from a single steam train passing. This is from soot buildup on the isolators.

Sweden has one of the longest semi-abandoned but still in service tracks on
Inlandsbanan, where steam enthusiasts run special trains during the summer.
1600 km long, max speed 30 km/h in sections.

Do drivers and firemen still suffer from lung diseases?

-- mrr