Walthers has a kit for sanding towers. The instructions give some history and explains that as steam locomotives gave way to diesels the facilities were still used until better methods were developed.
What are those methods and when were the old structures phased out?
Thanks
Rick
I'm guessing what they're referring to are the combination coal and sanding towers common in the steam days. Locomotives would pull up to the towers, fill the tenders with coal and at the same time fill the sand tanks. When the steam days ended obviously there wasn't any need for coal but since the sand filling systems were still serviceable they were used until the coaling towers were demolished, which sometimes took years. Then separate purpose-built sand towers were used.
Diesels and steam engines fill sand at different places.
Virtually all steamers have a sandbox on the top center of the boiler.
An F unit has sand fillers on the sides, about 2/3 the way up. A hood unit with a high nose has the filler on top of the hood and a hood unit with a low nose has fillers on the top of the low nose. End cab switches have fillers lower on the carbody, even with the cab floor.
The problem with steam era sanding facilities is having a hose in the right place to reach the sand boxes on diesels.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
I would think that some of the "better methods" would include processed and dried sand being delivered to the facility in dry bulk trucks and hopper cars, and moved pneumatically to the tank that sits above the tracks.
Drying houses, and lots of handling by hand, were no longer needed.
The WC had a hopper car up on legs at their Fond du Lac, WI. shops.
Here's a thread from the past that talks about sanding:
https://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/13/t/258077.aspx
Mike.
EDIT: I used to know how to make old threads a live link, guess I lost my touch! haha
My You Tube
This is from the Walthers instructions:
dehusmanThe problem with steam era sanding facilities is having a hose in the right place to reach the sand boxes on diesels.
One bucket at a time:
GN_F7-272_Sanders by Edmund, on Flickr
Note the sand hose above the far engine.
Sand_Gardenville-NY by Edmund, on Flickr
Sand_Gardenville-NY-crop by Edmund, on Flickr
Much better.
Regards, Ed
No luck finding a picture I had of 2 guys, one on a fork lift, with a pallet of bagged sand, and one guy opening the bags and filling the sand box on the front hood of a GP.
I must have lost that picture about 2 computers ago.
Ed, your photo reminded me of it.
mbinsewi Here's a thread from the past that talks about sanding: https://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/13/t/258077.aspx
Thank you. That thread was helpful.
How much sand does each locomotive carry?
A GP7 holds 18 cu ft of sand. Most times the sand is "topped off" rather than completely refilled.
A two bay covered hopper is about 2000-3000 cu ft, or enough to completely refill 100-150 engines, or partially refill 200-300 engines.
Thank you.