Scenery materials

[Gaundyboss]

I need some help locating "coal" for my HO layout. I would like to have some coal on my layout that I can haul in dump cars (Old Tyco Operating Cars) move up conveyor belts, drop from overhead tipples, hoist up elevator shafts. I need coal (Black ballast) that is fairly course so that it will not work its way under the rubber belt and it should be like plastic pellets so it will not be "ground up" by moving it around. I am willing to compromise a little on looks for a material that will work for this.

I don't have a local hobby shop and the woodland scenic products coal I have seems to be real coal and it grinds and becomes coal dust. It is hard to shop on-line because nobody tells you what you are going to get. (Life Like used to sell grass that was colored sawdust.) If you know of a manufacturer that is selling "plastic coal" I would like to know.

Dave Moore

[MisterBeasley]

I've got the same hoppers, and once I've got my layout a bit further along, I plan to try using Woodland Scenics black "cinders" ballast. The medium size seems about the same as my old plastic coal that's still in a bag somewhere.

[XMarine]

If you use plastic pellets, they will not work since they are sooo light. The belt will flip them all over the place. Besides anything that is heavy enough will grind into dust with enough time. I say don't worry about the dust, it will create instant true weathering for the the equipment! Coal moving equipment is always very dirty and the dust will weather everything in the area correctly. Make sure the motor running the belt is protected and clean the tracks in the area regularly. Then stand back and let the "NIT-PICKERS" try to find the weathering wrong!

[mgruber]

I've used a product called ''Whisper Filter Carbon'' by Second Nature. It's an aquarium filter material that looks like coal. A 16oz carton cost me $6.21 + tax. You should be able to find this or something simular at your local pet shop.

[Gaundyboss]

Thank-you for the info I will check the pet store on my next trip to Lockport.

[bogp40]

A good product that may work is Black Beauty, it is sand blasting grit that is a perfect match for HO coal.
Bob K.

[Anonymous]

Like MisterBeasley I suggest the Woodland Scenics Ballast Medium Cinders. I've used this as ballast on my narrow gauge trackwork but also as coal loads in a number of open wagons. The bottom of the bag it comes in doesn't contain loose dust so I assume this means it doesn't break down too easily.

[Anonymous]

I've used decorative sand (bought at IKEA for 25c a pound) painted black as coal - it's heavy, has a coal-like slightly shiny look, and is non-magnetic. May not be what you need, but worth a try - I imagine you could find something similar in a flower shop or something similar. I used it in N-scale, it's a bit coarse really, but should work well for HO.

[mecovey]

I also use Black Beauty and haul live loads. It comes in 3 grades, coarse, medium and fine. I use the medium as it looks right to my eye but the coarse might be more useful given the concern about dust and hanging up in the conveyors. I paid about $7 for 100 pounds.
I load from tipples using gravity but really wanted to use conveyors. Unfortunately I wasn't smart enough to figure out how to do it. Anything you can share about how you were able to accomplish it?

[Gaundyboss]

I haven't had any real success with the conveyor. I got an old tyco conveyor marketed in the 60's as Moore Sand&Gravel, Clementine Gold Mine. These toys have a belt with moulded in flights. The belt is moved with a small hand crank. I modified a hobby servo to run continuiously and coupled it to the shaft. The belt was streched from being in storage for so long, so I hacked off the lower end of the conveyor frame and made up brass plates that I could adjust for belt tension. The belt moves freely when there is nothing in the hopper feeding unto the belt.

When I tried to move the woodland senics coal is plugs up and the motor tries to grind the coal into powder. I appears that the finer peices will get between the edge of the belt and the frame and then work its way down to the driving pulley. When enough material builts up the belt stalls and the servo applies more power and either slips the shaft or turns the driving pulley into a grinder.

If I dribble the coal onto the belt that is aleady moving it will work for a while but will eventually clog. If the belt is stopped and the coal dumped on the belt it won't even start. That is why I was looking for a material course enough not to fit into the gap between the belt and frame.

Once I find the right material to transport I will probably scratch build a couple of conveyors using toothed belts flipped over so the ribbs are driving the "coal" up the chute (Toothed belts are used with stepper motors on things like printer heads and scanners.)

I will let you know when succcess rears it ugly head.

Dave Moore

[mecovey]

Thanks for the response. I tried using printer ribbons riding in a plastic channel with the printer cartridge run from a variable drill. it worked after a fashion but I also had trouble with the "coal" getting under the belt and plugging everything up. I think if the ribbon were wide enough so that it could be formed into a V shape it might work. Unfortunately the ribbon would have to be both stiff enough to hold the shape and flexible enough to go through the drive pulley of the cartridge. After several months I finally gave up and went to gravity. So far it works great. I be interested in hearing of your further experiments.

[talon104]

this might sound stupid but i think of belt sanders? i dont know how long they make the belts but if they make them long enough for your application maybe that is a idea ? sorry i cant be more helpful
Chris

[talon104]

hey Gaundyboss,
I should probably clearify what i was gettnig at in my last post. you see a belt sand belt or even a piece of i guess sand paper rolled into a belt shape depending on the length can be cut to with . connected if need be by maybe some sort of glue or even staples painted over to conseal them.
this might give you a strong enough base for your gravel ( coal belt ) ?
This is just a idea i'm throwing out as a suggestion tho.
thanks
chris