I have empty spare tenders in my locomotive shop area…just like most prototypes would have had…
Sheldon
The moving coal pile, like reversing valve motion and a model fireman shoveling coal, might be nice for a single hyperdetailed model running on a model railroad the size of a tea tray. For a situation where thirty or so steamers are in regular operation that’s just another fussy mechanical gadget that would probably become unused, unmaintained and unserviceable in very rapid order.
The easiest way around this conundrum is to model a railroad or part of a railroad where oil was the primary steam locomotive fuel. SP, UP, WP, ATSF, CP and CN in Western Canada, FEC, GN. It eliminates the “need” for Rube Goldberg gadgetry.
The other alternative is to go into ride around sized live steam that uses real coal for fuel. http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/192021284933?lpid=82&chn=ps&ul_noapp=true
OTOH, all this is likely to do is to cause people to restart complaints about the expense of the hobby. Then again, when the cost of a single locomotive approximates the cost of a Mercedes C class…
Andre
Even in the coal powered east, some roads used oil…
Some used oil for passenger service in cities with smoke ordinances that restricted coal fired steam loco use in downtown areas. Much easier to control smoke with oil fired locos…
Here on the ATLANTIC CENTRAL most of out passenger steam power is oil fired, same was true on the WESTERN MARYLAND.
Cost? All these “value added” features are suposed to be the “free” result of modern manufacturing - never mind that the recently posted video of the Rapidio factory making and shipping the $325 RDC models does not look much different from the 1950’s pictures of the ATHEARN plant…
But once again, we can
Call me old fashioned, but I see depleting coal loads in tenders as an unnecessary marketing gimmick, directed at increasing the manufacturer´s margin and nothing else! It does not add any “play value” unless you want to spend the majority of your ops time mainating your roster of steam engines.
Well, there was at least one modeler who was a frustrated hostler. Remember the layout featured in MR some years back that had a visible engine terminal with a big roundhouse, and staging was another turntable with a lot of radial tracks? (The one that sparked off the flame war about professionally-built model railroads.) I’d say that the owner spent all of his ops time moving and servicing locomotives.
As for oil firing - the JNR burned oil, but it was all #2 diesel, in locomotives (with hydraulic drives) and DMU. Steam burned coal right up to the end of regular service (in 1975) and the handful of currently-operable steamers still do. Since my short line is owned by the coal company it serves…
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
I agree with all (IMHO of course) who think that there can be too much automation or animatronics as Disney called it . I like sound out of my mostly Broadway Limited locomotives which are mainly 1940’s steam and coal fired. I run my HO layout with just the basic sounds near all the time. I like hearing the chuff and bell and whistle. I have the operating water tank, the “talking” cattle car, the decoder built-in station sounds and Rolling Thunder which transmits bass loco sounds to an under layout woofer speaker among other “toys”. I don’t normally use these items as they don’t appreciably increase my model railroading experience on a day to day basis.
BUT; when my 2+ year old grandson comes to visit, I use them all. He loves every one of them and I love using them for him. So I don’t really care about Smoking Whistle or Coal Depleting Load or coupler clank and brake squeal normally, all of these “toys” collectively bring me great pleasure on occasion. Just saying. [:)]