Ground zero cigarette ashtray idea with sunrise bonus

[FJ and G]

I was strolling along the inner courtyard of the Pentagon, known during the Cold War, because it was rumored that the Soviets had an ICBM targeted on the pavilion in the middle of the courtyard.

But I'm deviating from the topic.

Anyway, while strolling, I noticed a sluthe of smokers huffing and puffing and enjoying the fresh spring air in a sort of clean air/dirty air equilibrium.

They were putting out their butts in these giant ashtrays that were filled with bright shiny O scale black sparkly sand. I don't know where this stuff comes from but it would be great to use for hopper coal loads, ballast (where black ballast is common on some roads) or even if you are doing an On2.5 or so narrow gauge Hawaiian sugar cane train running along a black sandy beach.



The sunrise bonus is for the benefit of a fellow forum member whose 7-year-old daughter told her daddy to put some space between the mountains and the backdrop. This gives a 3D effect to the mountains and allows you to light up a sunrise, as shown.

[Frank53]

I'll tell you what dave, you've got the vision, and that tequila sunrise is a knock out.

[Anonymous]

Whew. No one has thought of this until now.

Good work!

Simply ask the janitor in the pentagon about the stuff. They have to have a closet somewhere with bags of the stuff. On the bags you will see the information you seek.

[Dr. John]

Of course, if you check with the janitor at the Pentagon, you'll find out that stuff costs about $10,000.00 a pound. [;)]

[lionelsoni]

http://www.bobthejanitor.com/unib25.html

[Frank53]

a buck a pound from bob the janitor. THat's gonna be one hard workin' coal train.

[cnw1995]

I used to work in a weapons lab on the south side of Chicago. We also had a small nuclear reactor there for a while (unknown to most everyone). We took pride in knowing we had an MIRV with our name on it. There's lots of things you can put in hoppers or gons. One of my friends works for a plastic pellets plant (say that ten times fast...) that fills up real hoppers but he showed me how they can essentially crumble the same stuff to fit our models. Also, the charcoal used to filter water and other liquids can be used.

[Anonymous]

There is also a product called Black Beauty, it's a coal slag abrasive used extensively in for power blasting, sandblasting. It comes in 100 lb sacks and is available in course, fine and extra-fine grades. It also makes great coal loads. Try a Google search for Black Beauty.
Hope this helps,
BillFromWayne

[Anonymous]

Why not just use coal? Just use a hammer to crush it up! Then screen it to size.

[cnw1995]

Where does one find real coal these days?

[spankybird]

Try your local pet store. Look for activated Charcoal for tropical fish filters. I used to buy this in 10 and 20 pound bags.

[garyseven]

If I remember right, Reed College here where I live still has a nuclear reactor operated by undergraduates. [:o]

[garyseven]

See this link for cheap coal loads:
http://ogaugerr.infopop.cc/eve/ubb.x/a/tpc/f/57660482/m/9221078532/r/9221078532#9221078532

[lionelsoni]

I bought a couple of dozen of coal loads for my Lionel 2-bay and 4-bay hoppers years ago. They were all uniquely shaped and custom made for some outfit that I found on the Internet. Unfortunately, I have no record of the name; but that might be just as well, since it took forever for them to get my order right. Perhaps someone else has had an experience with them or someone similar.

I would expect charcoal to be much duller than real coal, which is often shiny.

[FJ and G]

I'm pretty positive this isn't aquarium gravel. I've had fish before and aquarium gravel is about the size of peas or a bit less; this stuff is about the size of HO ballast.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by cnw1995

Where does one find real coal these days?

This is true! I got mine at Cass, W.Va. [:D]

[underworld]

Dave That stuff should be pretty easy to find. I've seen it in a lot of places around NW Ohio. Usually in higher class establishments....looks more "elegan"t than regular sand or kitty litter.

Doug You can find real coal in Ohio! Actually try East Chicago or Gary. I'm sure US Steel has some that they can spare for you! [:D]

underworld

[:D][:D][:D][:D][:D]

[FJ and G]

you can generally find coal in Newcastle.

But if there's none there, do the town a favor and carry some up there!

[Anonymous]

Where I work now,We use a (what I think) Perfict plastic resin pellet that is used to make black trash bags, It looks just like lump coal and is the right size for ALL the loaders that use the chopped up black plastic that you get a tinny bag of with the product .
I've been using it for about 3 years now and it works great. and it's clean to use.

[cnw1995]

Neat. I'm unsure I'd want to wander Gary these days looking for coal...

[underworld]

Doug Do the toxic clouds in Gary bother you??? Really, you get used to them after a while!!!

underworld

[:D][:D][:D][:D][:D]

[jwse30]

Underworld,

I can just see the look on the security guard's face (at USS) checking lunch boxes on the way out if I had filled mine up with coal.

Of course you can find it already crushed to whatever size you want at coal handling, from full size to dust. If you got it in a "scale" size, you would get the added realism of Deisel smell as well. [:D]

For those of you that don't know, a lot of places add Deisel fuel to coal to lower the flash point, which is supposed to make it burn more completely, which is supposed to lower emissions. So running a tank car occasionally to your coal burner power plant would not be totally unrealstic. But putting it in your rotary dumper would be. [:)]

J White

[eZAK]

Doug,
I hear you! I wouln't either!

It's not so much the toxic clouds as it is the 'under world' [;)]
(excuse the pun underworld)