Britain's steam trains could be powered by human poo.
Steam trains in Britain could be powered by human poo
Scientists have worked out how to turn human waste into synthetic coal to replace fossil fuels on locomotives.
The "biocoal" is produced by pressuring sewage underwater at 250 degrees Celsius before condensing it into solid lumps.
The method has been successfully tested on a line in West Yorkshire and could be adopted across the UK by the Heritage Railways Association (HRA).
Attempts are being made to help steam trains go carbon neutral in a bid to combat supply problems linked to the war in Ukraine.
HRA chief executive Steve Oates described the biocoal test as a "significant milestone in the history of steam locomotives in the UK".
Train fireman Noel Hartley explained that shovelling the biocoal involved a completely different technique than usual.
He said: "You've got to make sure you get it really hot to start with."