Wouldn't it be a nice if this was produced by MTH or Lionel?
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VERY impressive workmanship and operating model - hard to tell from the "real thing"!
Oh, I've got to make me one of those.
That is awesome! 
wait until lee willis sees this.
very cool.
I had to go back and make sure I was not in the Real Trains section of this Forum.
Great work!
Dave
How about this one! Need something to unload those loaded cars.
In the late eighties, a 3-rail modeler located in Delaware had an operating Tipple and a Rotary Dumper located on the other side of his layout. The coal loads were returned to the Tipple under the layout. He was in the process of marketing these 3-rail items when he became ill.
Size wise, it shouldn't be much differant footprint than a Lionel 497 / 2315 Coaling Station. The height would be the only big difference (this one would need to be taller) to hold a substantial amount to load 4-6 Coalporters or hoppers.
Would be a great accessory that would actually work well in what it is supposed to do.
With most modelers being somewhat handy, plans for building it would be nice, a kit would be even better.
Very Cool, thanks for the post.
That is pretty cool. Wish I had the room to build something like it.
David and "Uncle Fester"
Both of your coal dispensing beauties operate and look very realistic!
Good Luck,
Ralph
Both projects very impressive . I just wish we could really load coal that quick 
VERY COOL. SMOOTH OPERATION.
what era is this loader?
Wow.
Probably not possible to make something that works that well (flawlessly?) within
the price restraints of even an expensive accessory. I'd probably buy one,
but I'm in a position to - not all of us are.
Having said that, I would be perfectly happy with something that worked well, if not
flawlessly - after all, we must not let the Perfect stand in the way of the Good.
I wonder how much coal he spilled before he got that thing right?
amazing! i wonder if he uses a substitute for real coal as there didn't seem to be even a hint of dust as the hoppers were loading. the timing/ motion control couldn't have been better as the hoppers get loaded nearly perfectly. great job.
Originally Posted by 3rdrailMike:
what era is this loader?
My guess is mid/late 80's
Originally Posted by overlandflyer:
amazing! i wonder if he uses a substitute for real coal as there didn't seem to be even a hint of dust as the hoppers were loading. the timing/ motion control couldn't have been better as the hoppers get loaded nearly perfectly. great job.
He uses woodland scenics coarse cinders
behind the scene look at the servo's that operate it.
loader (building) is then built around it
I want something from 40's to 50's
Flood loaders have been around for a while but are still quite contemporary. There are a couple of other videos on Youtube showing the prototype and they are only couple of years old.
They really take up a small footprint, even the humongous ones in the Powder River Basin. The prototypes can be anywhere from about 100' to over 1000' feet high. Even the biggest ones would fit on an ~18x18" scale footprint. How tall you make it determines how much coal it holds, and how heavy it is.
BUT, as shown, you need a very consistent very slow speed throughout the loading for it to work. I think the prototype is between 1/4 and 1/2 MPH and has to stay consistent as the train gets heavier and heavier. Me thinks that is the real hard part.
Originally Posted by rdunniii:
BUT, as shown, you need a very consistent very slow speed throughout the loading for it to work. I think the prototype is between 1/4 and 1/2 MPH and has to stay consistent as the train gets heavier and heavier. Me thinks that is the real hard part.
Command control from MTH or Lionel is a must for maintaing consistant slow speed.
I've operated a HO flood loader using DCC and it worked pretty darn good. Perhaps I'll see if I can post a short video of it. The flow was not quite the consistancy of this youtube though.
David,
The Servo is an engineering marvel and alone would cost about $1,000.00 and upward, without the surrounding building.
Beautiful!!!
Ralph
Originally Posted by RJL:
David,
The Servo is an engineering marvel and alone would cost about $1,000.00 and upward, without the surrounding building.
Beautiful!!!
Ralph
Hi Ralph,
I believe the servo's that are used here are in the $15 range. I called a local shop that carries an assortment of Remote Control Planes/Boats Helicopters and they have in stock these servos, quoted prices were in the $11-$18 range. The building is a an out building used in the Walthers New River Mine. I plan on using either 1/8" plywood or foam board covered with either styrene siding or Northeastern Lumber corrugated siding and some basswood for the support beams. I can't see the whole thing costing much more than perhaps 60-$70.
Here is a link provided by a Youtuber where he got his servo's
Tee Hee, RJL probably remembers the old days when servos and RC systems were crazy expensive. It sure kept me away from RC when I was growing up.
But, nowadays. as Bluegill1 noted entire one or two servo RC systems can be had for less than $100.
rdunhill,
You're right!
Back in the 1950's, I remember when the cost of a color T.V. set was at a high price.
These, new FANG-DANGLE CONTRAPTIONS are something neat and at a lower cost, than many moons ago.
BUT, let one of †he big model rr. manufacturers market the servo with bunkers, chutes and a surrounding building, then you will see a $1,000.00 and up price tag!!!
Ralph
My grandson just saw the coal filling operation and he told me it is not just cool but rather is is "WAY COOL".
