Recycled Fuel Oil
Our locomotives burn reclaimed and recycled waste oil—the same type of motor oil normally disposed of during vehicle oil changes. All fuel, approximately 800 gallons per day, is sampled and processed by a commercial vendor to ensure it is a uniform grade and free of hazardous materials before delivery. For this reason, we do not accept donated oil.
Our active locomotives were originally built as oil-burners for use in logging operations in the Pacific Northwest. Oil burns without embers or ash, which helps reduce the forest fire danger associated with coal-burning locomotives. This fuel source is well-suited for operations within the Black Hills National Forest.
The 1880 Train climbs some of the steepest steam-powered grades in the tourist railroad industry, with grades sometimes reaching up to six percent. These steep grades make our locomotives work hard, but we take pride in operating a “clear stack” with only a light brown haze. This represents efficient fuel combustion and the cleanest emissions possible for our operation. While the exhaust may darken on the steepest grades, passengers will not experience the dramatic, harmful billowing black smoke often seen in movies.
You may see a short blast of black smoke near the beginning of each trip when the fireman “sands the flues.” During this process, clean white sand is poured into the firebox to blast accumulated soot from inside the boiler tubes. This helps increase fuel efficiency for the rest of the trip. Some sand particulates may be ejected from the stack and fall onto the roofs of the passenger cars without impacting passengers.
