How does a coaling tower work??? And where were they located mostly, mainline, sidings, engine facilities?
I know it fills the steam tenders, either from the side by a chute or underneath thru a chute.
I have seen several kits by AHM, Bachmann,Lifelike, Walthers and so on.
I like the Bachmann one for my layout, of course painted and detailed. The size is good for me at 3x3 3/8.
But how does the coal stay in the tower or is refilled?
Thanks,
Mark
I was going to say that the Keebler Elves throw the coal into the top of the tower one lump at a time, but I don’t think you would believe that. [:D]
Coal was loaded into most coaling towers by a mechanical conveyor. The coal was dumped into an under-track pit. The conveyor moved the coal from the pit to the top of the tower.
Coal chutes were located over the tracks, whether on the sides or bottom of the tower. The chutes were lowered to the tender and a trap door was pulled open to allow the coal to travel down the chute into the tender.
If you know how to use Google, you can find all kinds of information about coaling towers. One Internet site in particular even has blueprints and construction details on how to scratch build a model of the coaling tower at Chama, New Mexico.
I just typed the phrase Coaling Tower into Google and found lots of photographs and historical data.
The link to the Chama information is http://users.stratuswave.net/~wd8jik/chama/chama.htm
Coaling towers or coal docks were located at yards and along the track. Main lines had larger ones than local tracks. Where ever they decided or figured the engine would need to re fuel. In the later days of steam they were not needed as close together as the tenders got larger. In my home town in WV. there is still a concrete one standing which to my understanding was not used much as it was built just prior to larger locomotives with larger tenders and they didn’t need to stop there for coal. Water became the larger issue. I am not old enough to remember but my father & grandfather have told me about it. I also have done some research on my own. The C&O retired thier steam about one year before I was born.
Here is the Url for a great article on the Coaling Station at New Buffalo, Michigan on the Chicago & West Michigan Railway from Engineering News - November 10, 1892. It has photos of the tower and a blueprint for building the tower.