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 Posted - October 22 2012 : 9:54:17 PM
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Well guys,
I have been saying I'd do this so here I am...
I took a Athearn 55 ton 2 bay hopper car, undecorated, and custom painted it to be a B&O hopper to match those I already have in the number series.
Then I said, I'd do a "loading" post.....
So here goes!
This is what the inside of the hopper looks like:
In order to follow through with what I did, you will need to cut ANY and ALL of the inner bracing thats molded into the cars body, seen here:
This makes it possible to add this section into the car:
The above section MUST BE water proof around the edges of the gray plastic, so that when the "coal" is added not so much but when the "wet water" is added to keep it from going under this plastic as it will take forever and a day to dry, even with the 50% alcohol.
Then you will need to add the coal to the gray plastic, piled as it would look being loaded by a coal tipple. That depends on each persons taste of "looks" of the load going into the car, mine looks like this:
A "profile" view of the load:
Now being "happy" with the profile of the coal load, you need to soak the "coal" load with wet water solution, 50% alcohol, 50% water. NOT to allow it to puddle, but to be seen "wet".
Once it is wet, add in your "ballast" glue solution, mine is 1/3 glue, to 2/3's water. I use this also on ballast work on track!
This would look like this:
This is the first "coat" of glue.....
Allow to settle or "evaporate" the alcohol, and water to leave the glue to dry a while, then BEFORE its dry completely, add another "coat" of glue.... As that first application is/has settled in the lowest part of the load. BUT, is not dry completely, thats when the next, (second) application of glue will adhere to the first.....
This second application would look like this:
Then just like the first application of glue, you will need to do this again! I have done 3 applications in the past and it seems to have been all that was needed to not be able to see the glue when dry! You want the coal to look as real as possible!
This project, is not done, I'm waiting for the second application of glue to dry some to add another before I hit the bed for work tomorrow This will be the last application....
Once that application is dry, I'll get pictures of the final product!
And YES, this is the SAME "coal" that was bought from Jo-Anne Fabric, OR Micheals Craft Store, for 32 ounces, for around $3.00! Decorative Black Sand.....
I have done ALL my coal car loads like this! (Except of course the empty ones!)
Enjoy! 
~John
Many have tried to, and failed, ya just can't repair stupid... 
Do NOT try to Idiot-Proof anything!!!! God, will simply create a better......IDIOT!
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Posted - October 23 2012 : 9:28:07 PM
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John:
Had a thought after seeing your work-
How many different varieties of mineral commodities are carried in hoppers.
Coal, being number one.
Sand and pea gravel, for numbers two and three.
Perhaps someone with knowledge of this stuff can help out here.
It would be nice to model ( color-wise) various different types of loads, just to spice up the rolling stock.
Ron
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Posted - October 23 2012 : 9:59:27 PM
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quote:John:
Had a thought after seeing your work-
How many different varieties of mineral commodities are carried in hoppers.
It would be nice to model ( color-wise) various different types of loads, just to spice up the rolling stock.
Ron
Originally posted by siouxlake - October 23 2012 : 9:28:07 PM
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One of my Virginia club members took over a coal-load making business from a guy retiring, he also does scale trees, his first business. He has done gravel loads in gray and white and tan, coal, among others. The way he does it is to make a form for each type of hopper ( Tyco, Athearn, Varney, etc ), then glue the coal load to a piece of wood, and then you can just drop it into each car and remove it easily. I took him some tyco Virginian hoppers, and it turns out that the hopper rib design was compatible with an Athearn or something, so he already had a coal load that would work. He makes the fit very flush, so there is no gap around the load once in the hopper. Very nice. That way you don't have to glue it into the car itself. If anyone is interested, I'll get his web address or email address to hand out.
Jerry
" When life throws you bananas...it's easy to slip up"
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Posted - October 24 2012 : 8:40:04 PM
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here's my contribution.
The "coal" is what's called stone dust or chips and dust used as a base for patio and walk way pavers. Easily purchased from any landscaper or go out to a ball diamond and scoop some up in a container.
I have a number of sieves of different meshes depending on what effect i want.
The base is foam board which i inserted into the hopper. i added the stone dust, glued it down with "wet \water" , and painted with gloss black.
The white stone is some old ballest i had laying aroundaround
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Posted - October 25 2012 : 07:48:08 AM
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Thanks guys!
Ron,
The way I have done it needless to say isn't removable, HOWEVER, what it does do, is add weight to the car! Which is nice as it has its factory weight, And the coal load adds a decent amount of weight, BUT keeps it just below the weight listing of the NMRA and still tracks very well!
Granted, I have something like 100 plus coal hoppers, which will be numbered EXACTLY the same as the loaded cars.....Emties in, loaded out so to speak.....As I have not yet seen "loads of this type sucessfully removed for a coal mine....IF the cars were just "run bys" I wouldn't need the emties!
As for other loads, yes the same places I get the "coal" from, also have ore colored stuff for iron ore, and the same "grade" of decorative sand. Which, I'll be loading my ore cars the same way!
Take the ore and the coal mix it 50/50 and then set aside is the start of "coke" for coke loaded cars, with alittle added color of paint to look like dirt. These cars, will be run bys tho so, no need of empties, my layout isn't that big!
Sand colored decorative sand, would work GREAT for those cars too!
And NO,. I have no connection to the stores I buy this material from, its just, it works and looks so well! And the price? You can't beat it for what it is!
Fred,
The stone dust works well too however the painting feature of doing it is my issue! painting a "aggregate" type load just don't seem to ever look right BUT I suppose if the load would have washes and dry brushing done to it, wouldn't look bad.....Where did you find the different grades of screens for the sieves? I'd be interested to give it a try for a different aggregate load in slightly different hopper cars!
~John
Many have tried to, and failed, ya just can't repair stupid...
Do NOT try to Idiot-Proof anything!!!! God, will simply create a better......IDIOT!
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Posted - October 25 2012 : 11:15:55 PM
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[
Fred,
The stone dust works well too however the painting feature of doing it is my issue! painting a "aggregate" type load just don't seem to ever look right BUT I suppose if the load would have washes and dry brushing done to it, wouldn't look bad.....Where did you find the different grades of screens for the sieves? I'd be interested to give it a try for a different aggregate load in slightly different hopper cars!
[I used gloss black as coal is washed after the grading process before it's loaded so wanted it to look wet.
found the sieves at dollar stores, estate sales , great for taking saw dust down to a powder.
.came across book by Armstrong Track Planning for Realistic Operation where he has a lay out that deals with open top empty'/full cars, to give appearance of dumping and filling, very clever
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