I would assume that did not happen much in California and Texas. Bunker C would have been a sticky wicket.
My late father related to me that during the depression he would walk along the tracks picking chunks of coal, filling a bran bag, and selling it at the next town, or trading it for a meal or 2 and or a warm place to sleep!!.
I can say I heard of it happening up through the early 50's I remember my mom talking about doing this. She said her mom would send the kids out to look for coal. Oddly enough, it's one of the stories she never included in her two books.
I had a friend who grew up in the 1920's and 30's in Pennsylvania and Colorado tell me he and his brothers would pick up coal that had fallen along the tracks. This had fallen from hopper cars and not the tender. They took it home to use in their stove as the family could not afford any heat otherwise.
Yes these stories are all true .On Sunday we would walk a mile south of Shirley throwing coal up to the track and then fill the feed sack up on the way back. You had one pair of shoes a year ,patches on the knees of your pants ,gloves with the end out of at least 2 fingers .You may have heard of Wilson's canned milk that is what you had on cereal or ate it dry . Dandelions were picked by the wash tub and canned along with berries of all kinds . You might get a little hungry ,but that too will pass . Also 10 cents was the going price for mowing a yard .Still in 1947 when I started on the railroad I made 81 cents an hr. and after 90 days it went to 83 cents . Those were the days. LEW
I seen a DVD on Cuba steam. There were kids at the locomotive servicing area collecting fuel oil in any type container. Would take home to use to cook with.