Coal/Ash Facility - Official Work Thread

[Gary Kraske]

Gentlemen,  Thank you all for the clarification on blocks for the coal bunker.

[Jeff Schumaker]

RE Mike's comments about coal pocket, a gantry crane and bucket to load the locomotive would be so cool.  I know that's what they did on the Kennebec Central, and probably other 2 footers as well.

The Bridgton & Saco River has something similar, on a larger scale, at the junction.

Jeff S.

[Graham Buxton]

This photo shows the coal hoist/bucket at the far end of the of the Wiscasset turntable.



That photo was posted by Brendan Barry to this NGDF thread regarding WW&F receiving the Amherst Railway Society's 2016 Founders Grant Award.

[Benjamin Richards]

Big concrete blocks are generally made by a local ready mix supplier [aka concrete delivery truck], as the concrete in the blocks was [more or less] ordered and paid for by a delivery customer.  Typically the delivery customer does not want the 'excess' concrete, and it can't stay on the truck for the next customer.   So the ready-mix company unloads it into block molds, and then later sells those blocks.   Since this is essentially 'reject' concrete, its paid for by someone other than the block customer, which is why the blocks are relatively cheap, given their size.
So the trick is to find "local" blocks at a nearby ready-mix location.  My Craigslist example listing was just to show  what can be available.  Odds are there are also blocks available from a closer concrete company.

My grandfather taught me when pouring a pad, sidewalk, footers, whatever, to ALWAYS have block molds or paver molds on-site, ready for the extra mix. Tell the driver to spin the barrel until it rattles. Obviously we're talking less than a yard, hopefully less than 1/2 a yard, for a residential project, but that's good concrete, son! It's neat to think the ready-mix plant does essentially the same thing.

[Bill Baskerville]

I kept a stack of 18"x 32" (OD) two by four framed, plywood bottomed molds handy so when I had a concrete pour for foundations or floor expansion of my garage I always had the excess poured into these molds.  After setting I would dump them out and have ready made paver blocks for my pathways around the back yard. I would place these about 18" to 24" apart from each other and when I had time frame the preformed blocks with 2x4's on each side and fill the middle with concrete mixed on site.  Over time I had lots of pathways up thru the recesses of my back yard.  the 18" x 32" size was about as much as I could carry around the property.

[Wayne Laepple]

I must have missed the memo. While I am aware of the desire for a coaling facility, I was unaware of any plans for some sort of ash handling set-up. Details, please.

I must note one concern about a bucket type of coaling arrangement. I have seen two types of buckets: one type that must be manually tipped to dump its load, and the other with a hinged bottom which dumps its load when the latch is released. I see potential for injury with either type. Why not continue to use the tractor or a conveyor to load coal?

[Gary Kraske]

Question: does our planned facility have a weather cover available?  I remember a friend who spent a cold winter breaking coal on a pile that fed a 600 ton a day facility in the 1950’s!

[Mike the Choochoo Nix]

Question: does our planned facility have a weather cover available?  I remember a friend who spent a cold winter breaking coal on a pile that fed a 600 ton a day facility in the 1950’s!

I was wondering the same thing, one cover I had thought about was a used garage door that would cover the coal bin when it was in the up position and in the closed position would be upright behind the coal bin to allow filling it or scooping loads out.

Just a thought, nothing more.
Mike N.

[John Kokas]

If memory serves me correctly, the B&SR coaling facility was a covered shed so the snow/ice problem is minimal.  As far a safety, the buckets weren't that big and from all the reading I have done, I only recall a single accident coaling when a rope broke.

[Rick Rowlands]

I know it won't work up your way but I've been looking for a two bay covered hopper to put up on stilts to use as a coaling tower on the J&LNG.  The coal stays dry that way!  Possibly use a conveyor of some sort to get the coal into the car. 

I would think that many industries and small operations would do what they could to get the job done at minimal cost and old freight cars have often been used in these new roles. 

[Jeff Schumaker]

Rick,

There's a freight car scrapper in Bucyrus, OH. They might have something.

Jeff S.