|
|
 Posted - September 29 2009 : 9:35:23 PM
|
Does anyone have any idea what to use for HO scale coal? I want it to look realistic, and be as light as possible, and it can't be too expensive. I have some colored sand that looks very realistic, but is way too heavy to use to load in my hopper cars. I know Woodland Scenics makes coal, but it is upwards of 10 dollars per container! Any reccommendations would be great. Thanks,
-Jacob
Quote: "I didn't fail, I just found 1200 materials that won't work"
-Thomas Edison
|
Country:  USA ~
Posts: 232 ~
Member Since: March 29 2009 ~
Last Visit: March 22 2010
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
 Posted - September 29 2009 : 9:56:49 PM
|
| I use the real stuff, crushed with a hammer and sifted. Being from the Northeast, it was easy to find stray chunks around old warehouses and schools that were coal heated in the past.
|
|
|
|
|
Posted - September 30 2009 : 12:23:41 AM
|
 yeah just ask around about the REAL stuff Also would make a neat scene for a coal derailment I can get lots where I is Being on the Powder River Divisions of UP & BNSF 
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 14982 ~
Member Since: February 23 2009 ~
Last Visit: January 02 2026
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - September 30 2009 : 7:23:22 PM
|
That's a good idea, thanks for the reply. I live near a coal-powered power plant, so getting some shouldn't be a problem.
-Jacob
Quote: "I didn't fail, I just found 1200 materials that won't work"
-Thomas Edison
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 232 ~
Member Since: March 29 2009 ~
Last Visit: March 22 2010
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - October 01 2009 : 12:35:29 AM
|
| just crush it enough for HO scale
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 14982 ~
Member Since: February 23 2009 ~
Last Visit: January 02 2026
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - October 01 2009 : 03:38:06 AM
|
Black plastic sprues... trees from models... put in a blender...
If no black is available, blend any color and dash a bit of black paint on it.
John
I don't have a one track mind. It depends on the turn-out.
"I love your catenary!"
Is that a power-trip or just another pick-up line?
|
Country:  Canada ~
Posts: 1124 ~
Member Since: December 15 2006 ~
Last Visit: January 30 2023
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - October 01 2009 : 09:52:45 AM
|
| If you just want the looks but, not an operating hopper, you can make a false bottom and just use a thin layer of coal.
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 825 ~
Member Since: December 22 2008 ~
Last Visit: March 16 2015
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - October 01 2009 : 4:17:43 PM
|
Thanks for the ideas , the coal will be used in operating hoppers, so the fasle bottom won't work.
-Jacob
Quote: "I didn't fail, I just found 1200 materials that won't work"
-Thomas Edison
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 232 ~
Member Since: March 29 2009 ~
Last Visit: March 22 2010
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - October 05 2009 : 12:44:55 AM
|
| I too use real coal--plentiful where i live especially since the coal train de-railed almost a year ago close to me and there still is a lot of coal around even though they cleaned up after wwreck-i have video on you tube. I crush it with a hammer then sift it through a screen so only the fine gets through--then re-crush the rest until its falls through screen---most of you live near tracks and if there is a power plant in your region--should be able to find chunks of coal on roadbed and between rails
|
|
Country: USA ~
Posts: 2507 ~
Member Since: January 31 2006 ~
Last Visit: October 21 2017
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
 Posted - October 05 2009 : 07:22:00 AM
|
Believe it or not, I've found a TON of coal near my house...in the forest.
All you need is a garden trowel. There's only about an inch of soil until you hit coal, so I think it may have been dumped there sometime years ago.
Although, some of it is hard packed, like an oily-shale type stuff. Who knows!
    
- Matt -
Edited by - MM 1498 on October 05 2009 07:23:04 AM
|
|
Country: Canada ~
Posts: 1021 ~
Member Since: August 24 2008 ~
Last Visit: January 05 2020
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
|
|
Posted - October 05 2009 : 1:46:49 PM
|
| After crushing with a hammer, I use a old coffee mill to get the wanted size of the coal. - Erich
|
Country:  Austria ~
Posts: 1046 ~
Member Since: December 03 2008 ~
Last Visit: February 14 2025
|
Alert Moderator
|
|
Home
Forums
Events Calendar
Forum Admins & Mods
Register
