Thanks "String Robert". I would love to see your layout but I think we are mutually geographically undesirables. - Earl In a message dated 1/25/2013 12:56:47 P.M. Central Standard Time, [email protected] writes:
I made my coal loads by cutting a piece of 1" foam to fit in the hopper cars, then putting sifted gravel on top, then securing everything with Elmer's glue. After that, I painted them black. They are removeable, also, so I can "unload" hopper cars at the Humongous Co. power plant, so I'm not shipping loads back out of there. To sift the gravel, I first ran it through 1/8" wire hardware cloth, then sifted it again through regular screen door 1/16" screen. What doesn't go through the second screen becomes coal loads. The rest becomes ballast. "S"tring boB _____________________________________________________ --- In [email protected]_ (mailto:[email protected]) , tennsgauge@... wrote: > > I also had the problem with the SHS coal loads not fitting well into the > hoppers with the crossbraces. As for the appearance of the coal, I would > not have a problem with them except that I want them for L&N hoppers to be in > the same train with L&N AM two-bay hoppers that have the Blue Mountain > loads. The loads look so different. > > I really liked the Blue Mountain loads for other reasons too. The loads > with the foam bottoms fit the AM 2 bay hoppers so well. And they seem to > add the perfect amount of weight, heavy enough to improve tracking, but not > so heavy they make the train hard to pull. > > Yes I have thought about making my own as "String Robert" suggested. > Someone on this group made that suggestion to me some time back. From the > ideas currently being shared, maybe I could add sand to the top of the SHS > loads, paint it black, then attach some foam underneath to fit between the > crossbraces. > > - Earl Henry, Nashville > > > > > In a message dated 1/25/2013 9:26:49 A.M. Central Standard Time, > bob@... writes: > > When I was shooting the SHS coal hoppers, Don sent me a few of the loads > but they didn't set in the hopper real well due to the crossbraces. I then > marked off where the braces would be and started to cut away the foam, but > that didn't work fast enough for me. I then tried to melt it away with a > soldering gun--wow--the fumes from the melting foam were strong--worse than > any old time plant fumes. >
