Coal shed

I posted this a few hours ago over on the “Prototype” forum. There didn’t seem to be much traffic there this evening so I didn’t get much response to my inquiry. I’m hoping that some of you experts may be able to help me out with this.

I recently purchased a Tichy coal shed. (Photo below)

In the directions, they tell you that the main shell was made out of concrete and should be painted so. This particular coal shed also has window openings with window frame inserts, but no mylar comes with the kit to simulate glass. There is no indication in the directions that there would be.

My question is: Were the windows in a Fairbanks-Morse coal shed normally open - i.e. to the elements? Were the windows merely grating (like rebarb or wood) that set inside the window opening? I’m trying to figure out what color to paint the windows so that it is prototypical.

Thanks for your help!

Tom

Tom Im not fimileir, with it ,but ,i would have it ,clear and blow some fi***ank carbin dust against the glas to look like coal storage ,if that is what you were asking ,

carl

The windows would probably have been pieces of rebar to allow fresh air circulation through the building because the loading and unloading of coal can create a lot of explosive dust that needs to be vented. The only reason for putting it into a building at all was to keep it reasonably dry so it didn’t smother a small fire, such as in a home furnace or cookstove.

This probably would not have been coal for locomotives, but to sell to households as heating fuel, where they were charged by weight.

I recently purchased 20 ton of gravel, and felt a little cheated because it was very wet when delivered. After the water evaporated out I was probably shortchanged by at least 100 pounds. Homeowners who were delivered coal saturated with water would probably complain about being overcharged.