[gunrunnerjohn]

It looks decent, but real coal loads are not piled that high, they don't come up over the top of the hopper walls.

 

[Krieglok]

I did some exploratory surgery today.

I removed the coal load from a K-Line diecast hopper. It is a plastic base with the same type of coal used in steam engine tenders, glued to the base.

i weighed the load by itself…2.8 ounces…

The car, empty weighs 1 pound, 15.6 oz.

According to a weight chart for O scale cars, 5 ounces plus 1 ounce per inch (6“) equals 11 ounces, the optimal weight for a car of that size. These hoppers with their load are just over two pounds!

Tom

 

[Krieglok]

It looks decent, but real coal loads are not piled that high, they don't come up over the top of the hopper walls.

Generally true. Most hopper loads from mines were “peaked” with a fairly uniform ridge down the middle of the load. Some hoppers were designed to peak the loads right to the end wall of the cars to allow for more capacity…

Tom

 

[Big Ed]

Generally true. Most hopper loads from mines were “peaked” with a fairly uniform ridge down the middle of the load. Some hoppers were designed to peak the loads right to the end wall of the cars to allow for more capacity…

View attachment 584710

Tom

I remember old timers telling me that when they were kids one the their chores was to walk the rail with buckets to bring home the coal that was dropped.
This was in Dunellen, NJ.
Dunellen grew from its start in 1867 with the construction of a railroad station, CNJ.
Lots of coal roll thru this state from the CNJ hauling to Jersey City, NJ.
The more you loaded the better profit for the RR back then.

I like the overloaded look.

1926 B&O

 

[Millstonemike]

The only "coal" I see now is charcoal for my smoker

 

[Krieglok]

I work in a rail yard that was once a major coal storage site for the Lackawanna Railroad. The site was abandoned and then reclaimed for a new passenger yard in the 1990’s. There are always chunks of coal rising up to the surface in the weeds. Mostly anthracite. There are many “klinkers” laying about near the site of the old round house…remnants of partially burned coal as well as old coal cinders, once used as roadbed…

Tom