Who uses real coal loads in their cars?
I have 37 of the Walthers DRGW 100-Ton Quad Hoppers and I've payed enough for them alone, and equipping them with Intermountain 36" wheelsets (with resistors for detection) and Kadee Whisker Couplers. I'm NOT paying a fortune for coal loads.
Is there a way of making a real coal load? Or something that simulates this?
Post pictures of your loads.
My God man, you already have the most expensive part out of the way, coal loads aren't that expensive, certainly not as expensive as the cars were, just bite the bullet and order some coal loads, get them from someone like MB Klein or someone like that and go!
If I had those nice looking cars all redone with Kadee couplers and Intermountain wheelsets I wouldn't let the price of the coal loads stop me. That doesn't mean I'd like it but I think you'll be a lot happier than if you cheapen up on the home stretch.
That'll be a *** nice looking train when you have it finished.
Mark
I have some for my RD4 hoppers from Walthers. I ordered mine from Motrak Models on ebay. They are very realistic and not too expensive.
I think this is what you are looking for.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Realistic-Coal-Loads-Walthers-100-Ton-Hopper-HO-/360121071779?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item53d8e378a3
Will
That's real coal in the tender.
And this coal is from Walthers
Wolfgang
Pueblo & Salt Lake RR
Come to us http://www.westportterminal.de my videos my blog
How to make a coal load that looks real. I took the plastic coal loads that came with my hoppers, a little white glue and some black decorative rock from a craft store or you could use black ballast. Let it dry, a little shot of dullcote and you are good to go. If you dont have the plastic coal load, you could full the hopper with some foam and then add the ballast/decorative rock as above.
What I do for coal loads is to use real granulated charcoal that is used for a water processing plant filter but fish tank charcoal along with , a couple of 3/4" nuts, some walthers goo, a piece of notebook paper, white glue, and scissors will also do the trick.
First, I'll glue in the 3/4" nuts, centered over the trucks, and in the bottom of the hopper with walthers goo. Let it dry.
Next, i'll take a piece of note book paper and cut it a bit larger than the hopper bay, crumple it, wet it down, and smear white glue all over the piece of paper. Then, i'll put the paper in the hopper and form it into a couple of mounds over the nuts and completely covering the floor of the hopper.
Finally, while the white glue is still wet, i'll sprinkle on the water plant filter charcoal (in your case, fish tank charcoal because water plant charcoal is not readily available) atop the piece of paper until it is completely covered. Let it dry and wahla! a great looking coal load. The only catch is that it isn't removable.....chuck
I cut a piece of softwood (white pine) to fit the inside of the hopper. Then I shape the topside to look like a gentle mound or mounds of coal. You can whittle it with a jack knife, shape it with a block plane, shape it with a drum sander, rasp it into shape, use whatever tools you have. Paint the wood coal black. Then give it a good coat of white glue and sprinkle HO gauge coal from Woodland Scenics onto the glue.
You could add a bit of iron, like a washer, to the underside and then use a magnet to remove the load from the car. I haven't done that yet, but I might.
David Starr www.newsnorthwoods.blogspot.com
Here's what I do. First photo is basic material. Sheet metal screw is used in center of load so that magnet has something to attract. the square things are curtain weights. I throw one in each bay of a typical three-bay hopper (Bowser or Stewart).
Second photo shows one form before addition of "coal", plus two completed loads:
Last photo shows loads in car, Stewart H39 and Bowser H43 style 100 ton:
I made mine with Woodland Scenic coal, cardboard and white glue. It cost me around $14.00 to do 50 plus cars.
Cuda Ken
I hate Rust
I do something very similar to maxman. (Even use the same brand paint.)
Cut a strip of foam to size, then fit it into the car getting the top to sit just a little above the edge of the hopper. Then I shape the load, carving the edges to come below the top of the car. A real load settles in transit, so brimming full would only be found near the loader. I dig out a little spot in the center and glue a steel washer in with latex caulk, this is so it can be lifted out with a magnet. Next I take a piece of Saran type wrap, I have found the good quality is better than the cheap, that is somewhat larger than the car, place it over the car and push the load into place. I then paint the top of the load with gloss black latex paint and sprinkle on the coal. I have used Life LIke coal and have some craft black rock that I think will look good too. When the paint is dry, lift out the load, remove the Saran wrap. I have a telescoping magnetic pick up tool to lift the loads out with, auto parts stores or Harbor Freight have them. I do have a piece of soft cloth over the end of the magnet, held on with a rubberband, to protect the coal from impact with the magnet. If a little coal falls off, the black paint lessens the fact that some is missing, it can be repaired with a little more paint and coal.
Good luck,
I use locomotive traction grit (very similar to Black Beauty sandblasting grit) that I got from work. It's fairly dust-free and has a bit of sparkle like anthracite. An Athearn two bay hopper weighs in at about 8 oz. with a full load:
There's some information on Black Beauty blasting medium HERE
I also use coke breeze (a by-product of industrial coke-making), both for hopper loads and in the coal bunkers of my steamers. While it's a little lighter (less dense) than the traction grit, it's also very dusty:
I use both of these materials as "live" (loose) loads, simply using my rotary dumper (formerly known as the big 0-5-0 switcher) to empty cars when required.
If you want to do faux loads atop foam or cardboard, the black beauty should be easily affordable, even for a long train.
Wayne
Findinf real coal may be tricky. For steam locomotive, I once used regular medium-sized woodland scenic ballast which I painted black and glosscoated a little bit to get the coal shiny nature. For my last locomotive, I used charcoal from a fireplace and crushed it. Glued it with watered glue. It looks quite decent because it have the natural shine you find on coal. But I wouldn't use those method for hoppers that will be manipulated a lot.
@Doctorwayne, Nice touch to show a half-empty coal bunker!
Matt
Proudly modelling the Quebec Railway Light & Power Co since 1997.
http://www.hedley-junction.blogspot.com
http://www.harlem-station.blogspot.com
Thanks Matt. I used the open bunker and loose coal load to advantage in a photograph-illustrated short story, with the coal load seemingly being depleted as the train made its way to the end of its journey. Not readily apparent, except to astute viewers, though. In normal practice, the bunkers are partially full, although for a photo of a loco under a coaling tower I heap it higher. For idled locos, almost empty bunkers reinforce the suggestion.
There was a post a about a weekago about coal loads the person who posted said he bought simulated coal at michaels arts and crafts for 2.00.rambo1....
the post was by cedarwoodron page 5.rambo1... try this. about coal loads.
also maybe alittle dulcote might help.rambo1..
a little dulcote might help also. rambo1.. see what happens for 2.00
I cut 1/4 "uan to fit the hoppers and sanded a taper on the eges
Coated with white glue then sprinkled coal ( I think it was coal ballast)over it
Better than commercial coal loads since each one is different
51% share holder in the ME&O ( Wife owns the other 49% )
ME&O
Answer #1: I do!! Answer #2: Yes...I didn't pay a lot for my coal loads, and they do not adversely affect the CG of a loaded car. Here's how it's done, Cheaply (Inexpensively, if you must)..
Step I: Walk any old RR yard or line that still has bituminous coal on the right-of-way, and collect about a 1/2 gallon of lumps. Bring them home and attack with a hammer, reducing the coal to about 1/8th Inch dots, at the largest. Sift this mixture through a kitchen sieve, some window screen and other net to "size" the product.
Step II: Clean the meat and or blood from a styrofoam meat tray from your grocer. Make a rectangular template the size of your hopper car(s) internal deminsions. Cut out the flat portion of the meat trays to fit, using these templates. Save the rounded edges of the trays to use as a contour for the mounded load. (Cut these on a bias so that they will lay flat on top of the rectangles) Use white glue to form the base and contour into one piece. After the glue dries, use a plastic compatible flat black paint to color the styrofoam on all sides.
StepIII: When the paint is dried, cover the top of the mold with white glue, Put a piece if celophane across the trop of your hopper, set the mold down inside the car, and apply the size coal you want for that load. (I use three sizes, plus a mixture to simulate "Mine-run" loads) Spray the coal lightly with a mixture of white glue and water plus detergent, and add more coal 'til you get the look you want..Allow to dry and then remove from hopper, peel off the celo and thar 'tis..a real cheap real coal load..
Note: I made the first loads with the assistance of my 2 and 6 year-old daughters, some twenty years ago, and these loads still exist, and work fine. Good Luck! JWH