I recently bought a Lionel 497 coaling station and a Lionel C&O 6-26847 coal dumping car for my layout. The stations instructions don't say anything about what size coal to use and the dump car was supposed to have coal and a bin but arrived with only the car and logs. No mention in it's instructions as to what size coal to use. I have a bag of the small 6-12722 and a full box of the medium 6-16889. Which one is more suitable?
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Here is a chart showing the common sizes. You can do the math to convert to O. I use Black Beauty fine for "Chestnut", (the most common size), and the coarser grit for "Stove" coal.
| Coal Size | Min Size in Inches | Max Size in Inches | Similar Sized Objects |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barley | 3/32" | 3/16" | Coarse Sand |
| Rice | 3/16" | 5/16" | Pencil Eraser |
| Buckwheat(Buck) | 5/16" | 9/16" | Dime |
| Pea | 9/16" | 13/16" | Quarter |
| Chestnut(Nut) | 13/16" | 1-5/8" | Golf Ball+ |
| Stove | 1 5/8" | 2 7/16" | Baseball |
| Egg | 2 7/16" | 3 1/4" | Softball |
| Range* | 9/16" | 1-5/8" | Quarter to Baseball |
The small size is made for the coal dump cars. In the 2019 catalog, (the latest I have), it’s #6-12732. (Small). The 16889 is for the rotary dump.
@rail posted:Here is a chart showing the common sizes. You can do the math to convert to O. I use Black Beauty fine for "Chestnut", (the most common size), and the coarser grit for "Stove" coal.
*Range coal is a mixture of pea and nut, consult your coal dealer for this option.
Coal Size Min Size in Inches Max Size in Inches Similar Sized Objects Barley 3/32" 3/16" Coarse Sand Rice 3/16" 5/16" Pencil Eraser Buckwheat(Buck) 5/16" 9/16" Dime Pea 9/16" 13/16" Quarter Chestnut(Nut) 13/16" 1-5/8" Golf Ball+ Stove 1 5/8" 2 7/16" Baseball Egg 2 7/16" 3 1/4" Softball Range* 9/16" 1-5/8" Quarter to Baseball
Nice chart. Thanks for posting.
@Dave Ripp. posted:Nice chart. Thanks for posting.
You're welcome, I found it doing a search for coal sizes. Being from coal country, northeast PA, I am quite familiar with coal. Most people I knew burned coal like we did. We even had a coal/gas stove in our kitchen when I was younger. I now live in Ashley where the former Blue Coal Co. was headquartered.
Just tried out my 497 coaling loading station using the smaller, recommended , 6-12732 coal. I used the tallest coal car I own to receive the coal from the station and a large part of it still missed and went everywhere. Has anyone tried the medium sized coal 6-16889 or something else that might be a little more manageable ?
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