What is No 9 coal?

It probably refers to some kind of sieve size. When I look at the steam coal used on the KWVR heritage railway it comes in quite large lumps compared to coal for domestic use as far as I can remember way back when I was a nipper.

Richard

It seems that in Pittsburg coal was referred to by the number of the seam it came out of. Whether or not that is also the case here is, however, not clear.

Perhaps it's the coal you need to start Ella Fitzgerald's "That's a four-alarm fire, now".

Cricky, how manny writers does it take to write a popular song?

Answer, four. Duke Ellington, Don George, Johnny Hodges, and Harry James.

I did wonder if it was the No 9 John Lennon was so obsessed with. I suspect it might refer to the type of coal though, but have never been able to find it out. Brian

It seems to be a US mine naming convention - here are two examples: