Does anyone on the forum make custom coal loads ? "New Info"

May have been St. Charles Model Works.  John

More crappy photography from me... and, it ain't coal ...but,

On the left, crappy Lionel insert... on the right, very nice insert.  Fits very well and looks great!  I don't know if the Hobby shop makes them or has them made or if they are still in business.  Whoever made it did an excellent job... Five Stars!

Blue Mountain Hobbies is no longer in business.   Don Kane made several coal loads for my MTH, Lionel, Atlas and Weaver hoppers.  

I have watched a couple videos on making coal loads and it doesn't seem too complicated so think I'll give it a try.

Any suggestions on what coal to buy,  is it all the same ?   Where to get it ?

Boomer0622,

I made some coal loads for some Lionel hoopers for my C & O coal train a couple years back. It’s pretty easy. Cut some 1” insulation foam to fit inside the hooper used a rasp to shape the top of foam to look like a rippled load of coal. Painted the loads black then spread Elmers white glue on the top and sprinkled fine coal in the glued area. The coal is used as a blasting media. I bought it at TSC near me. At the time the blasting media was about $8.00 for a 25 lb bag.
Hope This Helps

STE

DC RAIL AND Hobby depot in Unionville VA makes coal loads.  They don’t have a website but have a FB presence and on EBay.

In my opinion, the best of all time were the St Charles Model Works coal and gondola loads. Don't know if they are still in business.

@superwarp1 posted:

DC RAIL AND Hobby depot in Unionville VA makes coal loads.  They don’t have a website but have a FB presence and on EBay.

DC Rail is a good and reliable source.  Contact Dave by email <dcrailandhobby (at) gmail.com>  Obviously (at) = @ and no spaces.  ;-)   

Don Kane is the guy to go to. Made the loads for Weaver. Does great work.

Pat

@boomer0622 posted:

I have watched a couple videos on making coal loads and it doesn't seem too complicated so think I'll give it a try.

Any suggestions on what coal to buy,  is it all the same ?   Where to get it ?

It's not complicated and an easy DIY - the blue foam method works just fine and you can make whatever customized loads to suit whatever car you have in hand.

Here's one of my gons with a real coal load that I sold off in April.

Allow me to second or third the plug for DC RAIL.  Good work, decent price, great service.

Thanks everyone I appreciate all the feedback.  I'm going to try making some loads.  I don't have any pieces of foam and don't want to buy a 4 x 8  sheet but have plenty of scrap wood.  So I've cut inserts from 1/4" plywood and painted them black as starters.  I'm thinking of building up the centers also.

mwb, I really like that gondola, I would have bought it, my last name is really Boomer.

DON KANE a for sure, also a good friend.  Here is his video on how do make a coal load.  I have used it and is very easy to do.  Get the sand blasting black magic from tractor supply.  Easy peasy.

I'd also get some foam, it's much easier to shape the coal load with the foam.  With flat plywood, you'll have to build up the mound of coal, that makes it heavier and also top-heavy.

@boomer0622 posted:

mwb, I really like that gondola, I would have bought it, my last name is really Boomer.

Thanks!  Unfortunate on timing of sale.

But you could always build your own - that lettering set is available from Clover House.  And scratchbuilding building gondolas is pretty easy - done at least 8 in the past 18 months now.

Good point John, hadn't thought about "top heavy".  I've sent an email to Dave @D.C. rail, waiting for a response,  he's only about 20 miles away.

Laz1957,  thanks for the video.

mwb,  198 months......that's 16 1/2 years .....that's really chucking them out..lol

@boomer0622 posted:

Good point John, hadn't thought about "top heavy".  I've sent an email to Dave @D.C. rail, waiting for a response,  he's only about 20 miles away.

Laz1957,  thanks for the video.

Maybe use some “Great Stuff” or equivalent to save weight when building up the coal piles on the plywood base.  One can would make many coal piles.  Don’t forget to remove the base from the car when applying the foam.

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

I'd also get some foam, it's much easier to shape the coal load with the foam.  With flat plywood, you'll have to build up the mound of coal, that makes it heavier and also top-heavy.

True but with the way DON and I have done it, there is not much weight at all to these loads.