Make realistic looking coal by scraping any of the black stuff from the bottom of your oven!! Break this stuff up into scale sized pieces and use matte medium to secure in tenders, coal bins, or anything else you need coal for. It even has a slight shine to it!! Get these and other tips at http://www.jstrainstation.homestead.com. You can also view pics of my CSW layout! [This message has been edited by JCater (edited 16 June 2000).] [This message has been edited by JCater (edited 16 June 2000).]
Thanks for the tip JC .. and welcome to TrainBoard.com. If you would 'edit' your post and place a "http://" in front of that URL, it will produce a direct link to it from here. ------------------ Bill "Get Goosed on the Yreka Western"
Thanks for the tip, my wife will think I've gone nuts cleaning her oven. Maybe I'll score an attaboy ------------------ When in doubt, empty your magazine.
Hey JC welcome! Bit different to the other forum aint it... shame yer HO... also check some of the other forums as they all come in with some good help and ideas. specially the N scale.... ------------------ RR: K, C, & Bird Butt Railroad - SP, NS, and ROCK admirer. Its a coal mining region of a place far far away, that runs, SP, NS, and some CSX.. Also some Custom RARE Bird RR sd40-2's coming! Era: Time stands still round these parts, and we have everything from Steam, to Diesels of today.
Hey Bird!! Yeah this is different. As for the Ho...don't forget that I used to model N...until I "saw the light"...just kiddin' John
I'd better not let my wife see this- I'll be cleaning the &*^%@ oven Seriously though, I hadn't thought of using that to model coal. I guess I'm lucky in that I was able to use the real thing from Western Arkansas, eastern Oklahoma, and right here on the Western Slope. I pulverize the stuff with a hammer, screen out the small pieces, and glue it to a piece of sheet styrene cut to the dimensions of the inside of my 100-ton coal hoppers. I've got enough coal to use in a good-sized unit train in HO or N, and if I run low, the spilled-out stuff is available not too far away. ------------------ Ship IT on the Frisco! Bob T.
I use the real stuff too. But I used my wife's blender(with her permission)quicker and less messy. Then used different sized strainers to get the assortment of coal needed. I fill up the whole car so that I have to use helpers and have less problem with derailments due to weight and low center of gravity. Once in awhile you can pull a drawbar out but that just adds to the realism. Now if they made sound systems with realistic Dynamic brakes and model the site and smell of hot brake shoes Mike [This message has been edited by DRGWEngr (edited 26 June 2000).]
I had considered filling the hoppers up with coal, but didn't do so because I wanted removable loads. I have weights glued to the undersides of the loads, and so far, so good. I have done this trick (fill the hopper with a live load) for a couple of my ballast hoppers, and my chat hoppers. Guess I'll have to scrounge up more spilled coal- time for another trip to the yard ------------------ Ship IT on the Frisco! Bob T. http://hometown.aol.com/slsf1630/myhomepage/profile.html
Using real coal is fine if you have easy access...as for me a simple trip to the kitchen does just fine John
For my N scale MDC thrall cars a fellow hoby enthusiast cast coal loads and all i had to do was file them to fit them spray them matt black, they look great even if I say so myself ------------------ http://users.bigpond.net.au/railroad2000
There's also a way to use the charcoal from your water softeners or filters that are in your home once they are used up. I read about it a few issues ago in MR. All you do is cut it open and it is already fine enough to use in N Scale. All these modeling tips and not enough time.....!!!!!!! Dave Through the Heart of the South [This message has been edited by NSBrakeman (edited 25 July 2000).]
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by tunnel88: Doesn't the stuff from the oven kinda have a burnt smell to it?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> No odor that I noticed, but make sure to only use the really cooked stuff... John
Imitation coal from 'Woodland Scenics' or real coal make great looking loads. But after a couple of derailments my unrealistic, five finger work crew went on strike. Cars seem a little top heavy and easy to flip, and make a huge mess when the coal goes every where. I've stopped using it. I guess everything has it's realistic place, even the overturn spills? ....Eddie ------------------ Eddie Delozier PRR N-scale deloziers.com eddelozier@yahoo.com
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by eddelozier: Imitation coal from 'Woodland Scenics' or real coal make great looking loads. But after a couple of derailments my unrealistic, five finger work crew went on strike. Cars seem a little top heavy and easy to flip, and make a huge mess when the coal goes every where. I've stopped using it. I guess everything has it's realistic place, even the overturn spills? ....Eddie <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> What about fixing the coal to foam inserts or something similar.
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by friscobob: I had considered filling the hoppers up with coal, but didn't do so because I wanted removable loads. I have weights glued to the undersides of the loads, and so far, so good. I have done this trick (fill the hopper with a live load) for a couple of my ballast hoppers, and my chat hoppers. Guess I'll have to scrounge up more spilled coal- time for another trip to the yard <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Did you make your own removable loads or did you buy them ready made?
at our annual model raiload show, the visiting club from Eugene, the "Ngineers" have a cool coal loader at a "mine" modual... it dispences real coal into the hoppers, it uses a choke cable operated by the on duty trainmaster... when they have a spill, they get out the "Dirt Devil" with a small bag used only for coal, so it is re-used. ------------------ espee2 Home: www.tunnel13.com layout: SP's Newberg Branch in N scale
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by mtaylor: Did you make your own removable loads or did you buy them ready made?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Nope- I made my own using pieces of .020" or .040" styrene sheet, painted blaco on top, heaped up with coal, and glued using a water/glue mixture. The loads are removaboe from each car, and are cheaper than the Chooch loads (nice, but too pricey). ------------------ Ship IT on the Frisco! Bob T. http://hometown.aol.com/slsf1630/myhomepage/profile.html
I tried the real coal, those derailments can be nasty. I then found a good place that makes loads, Blue Mountain Hobbies in PA. However, a member of my railroad club has a source for real stuff at a power plant and I may go this route again with the coal glued to foam rubber. ------------------ aj y6b
