Sand House and Tower...

[MudHen_462]

I am working on my Engine Servicing area, and before I mess up, I thought I would ask if anyone can explain the mechanics of the sandhouse / tower supply "cycle". I know they would spot a 'gon next to the sand house bin, but did they manually unload (hand shovel) the sand into the bin, od did they use a converor, etc. ? Also I read where the sand was transported in covered gondola's or hoppers. I model the 1948-1950 time period.... did they have the "covered" gon's back then ? I haven't been able to find any photo's of them in that time line.

Thanks for any info you can spare...
Bob / IronGoat

[cacole]

A Missouri Pacific sandhouse I remember frequenting in the late 1940s had a conveyor that moved the sand into a large indoor holding bin from under an open hopper or gondola. Sand was shoveled into a large vat sitting atop a coal-fired heating stove for drying. After the sand was dried it was moved by a screw-type sealed conveyor that took it to the top of a tall outdoor sanding tower on the other side of the buiding, from which locomotive sand domes were filled.

[MudHen_462]

Thanks, Cacole....
I have seen photo's of men hand shoveling (both sand from a 'Gon, and cinders out of the pit into a gondola...), but I wasn't sure if that was just a "cash strapped" RR using manual labor to get it done. I model the GN, and I have not been able to find any "text" or photo's on the Great Northern's way of getting it done. I am going to use Walther's - Cornerstone sand house and tower , and a scratch built cinder pit and a 'Gon loading track beside it. I just wanted the supply track side of it to look prototypical. Thanks again for the information.... I.G.