Loads

One thing is that every modeler models the coal bunker full of coal (and I do it too).  In reality they bunker would be less than full most of the time.

Good to know Dave. I can

Good to know Dave.

I can lower those pieces to make it look less than full.

Thanks.

I haven't got around to

I haven't got around to adjusting those loads to the desired height yet. 

I'll have to be careful carving them as I have no coal pieces left.

Height

I'm just glad it's not the molded coal load. I did a layout tour last weekend and didn't see a single tender with anything but the molded plastic load!

True, but in many cases the tender houses the electronics, so the coal load can't be dropped much.

I'd love to be able to represent a coal bunker half filled, with the difference in color from where it'd been scooped by the fireman in the center that faces the firebox. But for now, the DCC and stuff is directly under that, so real crushed coal glued to the plastic coal shape will have to do...

Lee, Still looks nice and

Lee,

Still looks nice and convincing.

I concur that a molded coal load is unsightly.

Not so perfect loads, and real coal

Howard Zane used to do a lot of coal loads for his steamers, and almost all of them had spilled coal over the edges of bins,...coal loading was never that exact. And he used real coal. I've got a number of locos that have that sort of loads. It looks very realistic. I imagine you could find some photos/images on the internet.

Brain, I'm curious and will

Brain,

I'm curious and will definitely look for some images on the net.

Might be under weathering?

Might be under weathering?

Viagra Tank Car

I was doing a quick search for Howard Zane's weathering images and ran across this one of his that brought a big smile
 

Spills

http://tuscarorarailroad.blogspot.com/2013/07/tuscarora-railroad-5.html

example...

Zane's

Found this quote
 

Fuel bunker loafd

Nice touch on the no.5

@Brain, Nice touch on the no.5 loco.

Thanks for the info mjmotly!

Has everyone forgotten??

Hi Brian and all,

Ideally the slopesheet and the sides of the bunker should be designed allow the coal in the bunker to slump forward towards the shovelling plate at the front of the coal bunker in the tender as the coal is shovelled into the boiler.

Initially the front of the pile drops until you are almost down to shovel plate level, then vibration, hosing etc should cause the coal in the bunker to slump forward to where it can be reached by the fireman's shovel. 

If the coal doesn't slump forward, then you have the forgotten fireman's task of "shovelling forward". This involves clambering around on the coal pile inside the tender's coal bunker to shovel recalcitrant coal forward towards the front of the bunker to where it can be got at from the footplate to feed the boiler. This job can be "unpleasant" in extreme weather (too hot, too cold, too wet - and is always too dirty). Even stoker-fed locomotives can get caught out if the coal "hangs up" in the bunker, and fails to drop into the reach of the auger.

This could give a different shape to the coal heap in the tender's coal bunker for a loco that is nearing the end of its run before getting another transfusion of coal. Just another coal-heap shape variation,

Brain, I  just noticed the

Brain, I  just noticed the lettering on the tank car that I overlooked earlier. : )

Well I finally got a bag of

Well I finally got a bag of Woodland Scenics coal.

I'm going to redo my fuel bunker loads to be lower and more realistic looking. Stay tuned...