Coal Unloading

[Cody J]

What is the easiest way to unload coal? I will be using small black gravel for my "coal". I have three normal cars where they dump from the bottom doors and 6 Bethgon Coalporters. How can I unload the coal?

Thanks,
cody

[WoundedBear]

Two options come to my mind........

http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/933-3519



http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/933-3520



Sid

[Cody J]

Thanks. But how will i unload the Bethgon Coalporters? the only way they can be unloaded is vis rotary dump. And my coal cars that are unlaoded via doors on the bottom of the car are Bachmann cars. Do these doors open?

thanks,
cody

[Guilford Guy]

Doors don't open. You'd need to do a lot of modifications to get them to open, and then, only when you want to...

[Cody J]

Thanks GG.

I think the loaded coal cars are going to be taken off of the layout to a place where they get dumped then bring them back empty

[pdlethbridge]

 There is a way for you to do this but it will take a scenic divider to do it.
One side of the layout has a power station that requires coal and sends back empties, or 2 sidings.
Those same 2 sidings pass through a scenic divider to a coal mine on the other side that takes in empties and sends out full cars. So all you do is take the full cars from the mine over the main line and 'ship' them to the power station and take the empties from the power station over the main line and 'ship' them to the mine. You'll never run out of empties or full cars this way.

[jward]

the way my dad does it is to have all coal interchanged with other railroads, it all ends up in staging yards, where the loads are removed. they are kept in a drawer until needed at the mines. cars are "loaded" at the mines by dropping the loads into the cars.

[lmackattack]

If i read his post correctly hes asking how to unload live loads of coal? did I understand his post correctly? I have seen a few guys do this and it always seams to work for short trains as they are so heavy. both times I had seen it they used the rotater unloader with the couplers that spin...forget what they are called. it was mostly just for show with guests around.

speaking of coal. If you have alot of cars and need cheep loads buy some sheets of coarse/med foam spay black and cut out to size. I just did 50 cars from  $0.00 ! a used can of satan black spray paint that we had at work and a free piec of 3"foam from a shipment we got in at work. Its not as good looking as the ones made from sand or balast but its very very light and free!. i see on line some people pay as much as $3 a car for a load.

[pdlethbridge]

The problem with using actual loads like coal is the mess factor. Just think if one broke in a tunnel, how are you going to clean it? Best to simulate it