The grates of a coal-burning steamer sloped downward from the backhead to the front of the firebox, so the ashpan was usually deepest at its forward end. Looking at a couple of plans of Pennsy steamers, the ash hopper doors were in front of the trailing truck axle. On some locos with 4-wheel trailing trucks there were two semi-separated hoppers, one forward and one behind the front axle of the trailer.
There were about as many designs of ash pits as there were railroads that used them. Many were just concrete-lined holes in the ground. The one at Chama, NM, on the Cumbres and Toltec, is above ground, with one side wide open for easy cleaning. Busy engine terminals often had conveyors or bucket lifts to transfer ash from the pit to a waiting gon on the next track.
My very favorite is one I saw in Japan. The pit was just a concrete-paved depression about six meters square, with the rails supported on I-beams connected with a cross-rod every meter or so. The I-beams were about 150mm deep, and were kept elevated about 150mm above the concrete. When a locomotive had a bm, the workers (who also hand-shoveled coal into the tenders) would rake them out from between the rails and leave them to cool. Later they would shovel them into the same drop-side gondolas that had delivered the coal.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Thank You.
A 20 ft car is 5.58 inches long in 1/43 and 5 inches in 1/48 about a 10% difference. In three dimensions the cumulative difference is about 40%. Whether this is too much is up to you. If you keep the two scales separated somewhat and put the larger ones in the front for a little forced perspective, it may work.
Enjoy
Paul
there is an ashpan under the firebox that must be dumped and cleaned out pretty often. the need for this service was a determining factor in the distance a coal fired locomotive could run before servicing.
many model locomotives lack this detail.
grizlump
just 2 quick question
where exactly does a steam engine carry the cinder ? im thinking it would be pretty much at the end closer to the tender drawbar ...is that correct?
can some math wiz tell me how much scale difference there is between 1/43 and 1/48 ? Im looking to buy some vehicule and whiles theres a lot of cheap, nicely detailed 1/43 ,the one in "correct" 1/48 are not always appropriate and usually more expensive . is there such a big difference?