A guy I know was using white spirit and discovered it was a non-flammable variety! I always use paraffin and charcoal to start; I get it really well going, with steam beginning to come up before firing with anthracite. If you try meths on the charcoal instead, be very aware that moving your shovel back to the fuel supply for another round can sometimes begin an unintentional second fire, because the flames from the meths on the shovel aren’t always very visible in bright light…

Ordinary house coal, no it is not readily available any more, but have you tried the processed “smokeless” coal intended for domestic fires?

Anthracite is not the easiest stuff to ignite, and may need at least “priming” with a softer coal.

You are using a blower to get things going well ? I use white spirit charcoal and sticks and buy the coal from signal fuels. The charcoal lives in a glass jar and will have been soaking for weeks in white spirit. Paraffin or diesel will work. Noel.

Michael, you can still get house/steam coal, the steam rally organisers can get it, as can the steam railways, but domestic users cannot. Consider asking your U3A if any members want their old coal bunkers emptying, or go on the scrounge to your nearest steam railway, you will not need a lot. I would forget about the smokeless briquettes, I did not get on very well with them.

Chris Gunn