Ashes to ashes... Anyone know the colour of coal cinders?

[Anonymous]

After building Walther's cinder pit/conveyor it occured to me. What's the colour of coal cinder? is it the same colour as wood ash or is it darker or does it depend on the grade, or temperature one burns it at[?]

[lupo]

it is more than 25 jears ago: the cinders in my parents stove were white/orange/darkbrown/blackish,looked somewhat like lumps of rusty sponge.
but a well burning stove did not make too much cinders, only ash, what looked off-white/grey with little pieces incomplete burned coal in it

[Anonymous]

Well, the cinders from our coal fire are grey - about the same colour as the grey band on this page, maybe a little lighter. I would guess that the colour depends on the temperature at which the coal is burned and also on the type of coal burned - ours is lump coal varying from lumps that would fit in a HO gondola to lumps the size of a clenched fist. Hope this helps!

[Anonymous]

Ashen[:)]

[michaelstevens]

[;)]
Fergie,

All of the above -- then when it rains, is when the fun starts -- the light a***urns to light brown mud and the cinders come into their own, as black specs !!
[;)]
Displaying all of the delights of "weathering" !!

[:D]I get so sentimental about ashes.[:D]

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by michaelstevens

[;)]
Fergie,

All of the above -- then when it rains, is when the fun starts -- the light a***urns to light brown mud and the cinders come into their own, as black specs !!
[;)]
Displaying all of the delights of "weathering" !!

[:D]I get so sentimental about ashes.[:D]

[bow][bow][(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D]Too much[(-D][(-D][(-D][(-D]

[Anonymous]

Is it just me, or is everybody spelling color "colour"? No offense, I think I heard that peopke in Canada and Europe spell it diferently.................................. So am I right or insane?[:D][;)][:p][xx(]

[Anonymous]

Colour is spelt with a u in english, but without the u in american, so I guess people are using their own countries' version of it

[lupo]

QUOTE: Originally posted by 4884bigboy

Is it just me, or is everybody spelling color "colour"? No offense, I think I heard that peopke in Canada and Europe spell it diferently.................................. So am I right or insane?[:D][;)][:p][xx(]

[:D]if we start paying attention to these details I see another one ![:D]

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by lupo

QUOTE: Originally posted by 4884bigboy

Is it just me, or is everybody spelling color "colour"? No offense, I think I heard that peopke in Canada and Europe spell it diferently.................................. So am I right or insane?[:D][;)][:p][xx(]

[:D]if we start paying attention to these details I see another one ![:D]

[:D][(-D][swg]

[der5997]

Fergus: Seems that Grey (or is that Gray [:D]) in any shade you have on hand is going to fit the bill. I've used wood a***o represent cinders. I've also been warned in these forii (forae? forums?) that to do so is to risk long term degradation of the layout from acidic elements (bits, parts, constituents, I don't think the writer was being chemically exact) in the ash. Frankly the layout was taken down before the dreaded acidic effect did anything that I noticed. So, I'm going to use the wood ash again for t he same purpose. Incidentally, have you noticed the different colours of wood ash in the stove in the morning? I'm collecting the deeper browns for weathering colours, and hoping that they won't just go to mud when th edull coat is applied.

[Anonymous]

Correct me if I'm wrong (Not on this one) wood ash is actually base and can be used and is used by gardeners for "sweetening" the soil, especially in this province of ours.

And thanks guys for the comeback. As always more useful information to be incorporated.

[orsonroy]

Having cleaned out the ash pans on a couple of steamers, I always remember the ash as mostly dirty grey, with some dull black sprinkled in for fun. Clinkers are generally blackish-rustish. Ashes quickly turn to a dark grey streaked with some lighter grey, once rained on a couple of times.

[der5997]

Fergus: You're right, ash is basic. Either my correspondent was wrong in saying acidic, or I interpreted "Acidic" when he wrote "corrosive". Anyway it's all alkali under the bridge now. Now, there's a scene to model, soap foam pollution on your river [V] About as attractive as model graphiti IMHO.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by der5997

Fergus: You're right, ash is basic. Either my correspondent was wrong in saying acidic, or I interpreted "Acidic" when he wrote "corrosive". Anyway it's all alkali under the bridge now. Now, there's a scene to model, soap foam pollution on your river [V] About as attractive as model graphiti IMHO.

Coal Ash may be acidic as coal contains a lot of sulfur and other nasties, Just look at our beloved tar ponds.

I'll forego the water pollution and the graffiti. Living in Westmount for three years over looking the Steal mill and tar ponds of Sydney is something I'll not be modelling even if it means compromising accuracy. I may even change the name of the RR from Musquodoboit, Eastern Shore & Sydney to "Musquodoboit, Eastern Shore & Shubenacadie". Any thoughts?