Hey all,
So, in planning rolling stock purchases, I came up with an unusual question that I can't find the answer to: What type of gondola would be preferred for use in emptying ash pits in servicing areas? I say "preferred" here as the key word, because I'd wager that any available empty gon could and would be put to work for this. But, as with anything else, some tools (or cars) are more suited to a given purpose than others.
While my research turned up plenty of info on how to model the ash pits with the recessed adjacent track for the ash gon, there was little on the types of gons themselves. I've seen one mention of drop-side gons, and another mention of a GS-type gon. But it seems to me that any type of drop-side/end/bottom would work. From what I've seen, GA, GE, GM, GR, and GS type gons all appear suitable. I'd imagine even regular, fixed side/bottom GB's could be used if necessary. So does anyone have any info/insight on what the most common ash-removal gondola type was?
I know in some situations hoppers would be used, but I'm looking at modeling a branchline with a small fleet of locomotives that would not have had enough ash waste to justify the investment in the hoist/dumping stations that would be suitable for use with hoppers.
Thanks
- Adam
When all else fails, wing it!
If the ashes are going to be hauled off-line, then I suppose the branchline would use whatever gon the receiver demanded. Being as they probably don't own any interchange-worthy gons, it would likely be from a "real" railroad.
If the ashes were just going a few miles down their own line to a dump site, then the choice would surely be an MOW car (it's free). The branchline folks would look over their collection of cars, and pick one. If they owned more than one, it would be the one most appropriate for their loading and unloading styles. Since they likely didn't have the funds for a new car, they'd probably buy a used one from a "real" railroad. It would surely be "beaten up", 'cause that's what happens to gons. They quite likely would have wanted a GS gon, as it's pretty versatile.
This one would be a good choice, depending on era:
The branchline, if they had some extra money, might replace the wood planking (which would be in very bad shape) with sheet steel. Or they might just do some patching. They might repaint the whole car. Or the might just patch over the reporting marks, and place their own numbers on the car. Along with a "not for interchange" marking. Perhaps.
Ed
I doubt they would use a wood sided or wood decked Gondola. The ashs could still contain live coals. Today it would probably have to be covered to go any distance.
ndbprr I doubt they would use a wood sided or wood decked Gondola. The ashs could still contain live coals.
I doubt they would use a wood sided or wood decked Gondola. The ashs could still contain live coals.
If it's what you have, you use it. And take just a wee bit of care while doing so.
Today it would probably have to be covered to go any distance.
Surely true. Probably in a covered hopper.
I do wonder what would have been done back in the olden days, though. First, would anyone actually want ashes shipped over a distance back then? If so, it does seem they'd need some kind of cover.
Weren't the ashes used as or with ballest, and as fill where needed ?
Local roads in this area of southern Ontario (CNR,CPR, and TH&B) often used cut-down 36' Fowler boxcars.
Here's a model of a standard Fowler boxcar, but you'll have to picture the cinder car as described...
The carbody would be cut-down to about a third of its original height, the door area re-sided, and four or five "doors" cut-in, where the outside bracing permitted. The "doors" were sheet metal over square or rectangular openings, and slid upward to open, so that the cinders could be shovelled out without need to lift them. Some evidently remained as built, with cut-down wood sides, while others got interior sheet metal lining on the sides and, presumedly, the floor, too.I also have photos of older, low-sided steel gondolas, with similar doored-openings cut into the sides, used as cinder cars. When I have some free time, I hope to build 3 or 4 of these types for use on my freelanced roads - should be a fairly simple scratchbuild.I couldn't find any photos of these cars on-line, and I don't have permission to use the photos which I have on-hand.
Wayne
Cinders vs. Ashes
I've done a little shoveling of steam locomotive waste in my early years. They are more like cinders rather than ash. Today (or at least in the recent past) many coal-fired plants used pulverized coal sometimes in a slurry.
The lump coal of a locomotive produced more of a granular by-product that wouldn't fly away if carried in an open top car.
As Unclebutch mentions, it was used as fill and ballast on secondary trackage. It was corrosive to some degree so contact with iron was avoided.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fly_ash
Cinders were often sold off to secondary users for pavement and cinder block manufacture.
Regards, Ed
ndbprr I doubt they would use a wood sided or wood decked Gondola. The ashs could still contain live coals. Today it would probably have to be covered to go any distance.
Actually, the most common practice was to dump the ashes into a pit that had a certain amount of water in it. By the time the ashes were removed, they were pretty thoroughly doused and/or burned out. I have seen wood sided cars used in this service.
Tom