Hi and a question about locomotive loads.

[K_Franklin]

Hi, been reading the magazine and a big train buff, but something dawned on me after being asked a question. What kind of facilities did the railroads have for providing for the wood for wood burners? Was it just kept in plies by the water towers or such? or did they have actual loading buidlings like ice house? Sorry I realize it's an unusual question. Oh it would also be appriciated if somebody provided a picture if the wood was kept in some sort of building or such.

[kstrong]

Photos I've seen show really tall stacks of cordwood next to the tracks. Loading was done the same way almost every kind of load was handled at that time--strong, but cheap backs.

Later,

K

[K_Franklin]

That makes sense, but were they covered with anything to keep them from getting wet or such?

[Rastun]

What I've found is farmers and land owners where paid to supply wood piles along the right of way at specified intervals. So just build up a wood pile and you've got it.

 

[ttrigg]

That makes sense, but were they covered with anything to keep them from getting wet or such?

NOPE!!!!
When fire wood is stacked, it is placed into the stack with the bark up.  Thus the "U" shape formed by the trees rings is pointed down.  Since wood absorbs water through these growth rings, when they face down the water flows off.  Check with you local professional redwood deck installer.  If he knows anything he will tell you the "cup of the grain" faces down.  An upside down cup can collect no water.

[Great Western]

Greetings,

                Very informative posts.  Having both a "coal" burning model and a "wood" burning model of Bachmann "Annie" loco I had wondered about the provision of timber for locos.  I guess the coal was brought to a depot much in the same fashion as it was (and still is on Heritage lines) in the UK.  The only difference here that it is brought by road rather than rail now.

  I am reminded of one or two old films where the rolling stock was canabalised to provide wood for the loco - usually in some form of chase/escape  scenario. 
 

  

[K_Franklin]

Wow thanks! That whole thing with stacking the fiewood with the bark up makes so much sense! I also like the idea of the farmers and such being paid (Can add that to the backstory of the line!). Thanks!

[Great Western]

Hi again,

            Looking outside my window here is a great pile of logs - for the homestead not the railroad BTW

   Thinking about model loco loads it is very noticeable how many small tank type locos manage to run without any sign of fuel in the bunker (if there is one) or in a tender.  Even when there was no bunker it was customary in the UK (often for industrial locos) to pile some coal up on the top of the loco immediately in front of the cab. 

   Electric outline locos without catenary are often the norm, but no coal or other fuel for a "steam" outline loco?    Maybe this is more common in the UK where there were many quite small tank locos.

  
 

  

 

[hoofe116]

Since you brought up catenaries, just how feasible are they in G gauge? I've not seen any pixes of a working overhead.

Just wondering.

Les Whitaker

[K_Franklin]

It's been done quite a few times, LGB sells overhead lines. The issue is that since they are so delicate they can only be used in indoor layouts; although I am sure that somebody with enough insight could design some method that would work outside.

LGB 56405-Standard catenary mast

[Anonymous]

Tom what you have had to say about the way you stack wood sounded ok but i am sure it would be just the opposite here. Nearly all our native woods are hardwoods and ,mainly eucalypts with a few conifers thrown in, we have no native deciduous tress that i know of. So i guess this would be just the opposite here same as everything else.

Rgds ian