getting back into the hobby after a 30 year absence. I’m interested in vaguely freelance modeling a West Virginia Coaling sub division, I’d like to have a loading facility(Flood loader?), and also an unloading site (Power plant / Steel Mill), my question is, are there any loaders or unloaders available that can be operated either manually or remotely? Scratch building is not one of my gifts. Kit building is fine, I can follow directions, Pre-assembled and ready to go is even better. I figure I’m only buying these once, and they probably will be used a bit in operations, so cost is not really a factor. Any suggestions, plans, kits, links, units would be much appreciated. Perhaps provide pics/info/links to what you have on your layout or have seen on others. Thanks in advance, David
Not sure if they will suit your needs, but Walthers still has available a Cornerstone series coal flood loader (933-3051). Here is a link to it in the Walthers catalog: http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/933-3051. I think this is a non-operating model.
Walthers also made at one time a rotary coal dumper, 933-3145. I was not able to find this in their catalog, so it has probably been discontinued or sold out. Here is a link to a picture of one in an Ebay listing: http://cgi.ebay.com/Rotary-Dumper-Walthers-933-3145-HO-Scale-Sealed-MIB-/380253138444?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item5888da6e0c. I don’t own one of these myself, but a friend has two. If the model I linked to is like the ones I’ve seen, it is capable of turning a car over to put it into a dumping position. There are some gears and a crank that allow you to do this manually. However, the gears are plastic and I don’t believe that they will stand up to long term operation.
Both of these structures are used for “pretend” operation, rather than actual loading/unloading of the cars. A cut of empties is positioned under the loader at the end of an operating session, and the cars are magically and mystically found loaded at the beginning of the next session. The same thing happens at the dumper, except in reverse.
If you are interested in making working models, there was an article in MR about scratch building a loader, but since the on-line search function has disappeared I can’t tell you what issue that was. There are also a couple guys that have made operating dumpers, but I don’t ever remember seeing a how-to article.
Regards
I will be building my coal mine soon, and I’m gonna use this kit here. I’m going to use this for coal, not gravel. I will probably paint it so it looks more like a modern coal mine.
Then for my steel plant, will receive loads of coal using this kit. Instead of corn unloading, it will be used for coal unloading.
Then with the coal loads, I will be using a magnet to make it easy to remove from the cars.
Plenty of options/ideas out there for coal industry operations.
While I’m operating (very short!) unit coal trains, I’m not planning to load or unload them. Instead, I’m working on a concealed connection in my ‘Netherworld’ to return loaded trains (2 each) to the mine, and the counterpart empty trains to the interchange for return to the mine. (The end user, a shore-to-ship transfer, is virtual, located in the ‘Netherworld’ that simulates the rest of Japan.)
I DO plan to live-load loose cars for service other than unit train service, using the loader written up in Model Railroader some years ago. It will require scratch-building the loader mechanism, which is designed around an auger drill bit driven in reverse by a small automotive motor. Those loads will eventually be routed to a special cassette. specifically intended for emptying loaded open-top cars, which is, again, part of the ‘Netherworld.’
As far as kit or pre-built loaders and unloaders are concerned, I’m afraid I can’t be very helpful. After training as a marine engineer and spending most of my working life maintaining aircraft, designing and scratchbuilding electromechanical devices is rather like breathing - I don’t give the process much conscious thought, I just do it.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
It’s not the modern era, but this is how we did it in the old days.
This is a loader from Vollmer. The two chutes have doors that are activated by solenoids inside the building. The building loads from the top, and holds two loads for these small hoppers.
The hoppers are old Mantua “clamshell” models. They get their name from the non-prototypical doors at the bottom, which open sideways when spread by a special actuator track. The coal drops through the pile in the bin, which is actually hollow like a volcano, and into a waiting box below the layout.
Read Paul Macks article in RMC from a couple months back. BILL
A couple of years ago, I found some hard to find Walthers items from Advanced Model Railroad that I couldn’t find anywhere else. Give them a look. Oh, and just because you don’t see it listed on their website, give them a call.
Hope this helps.
Just for giggles, I did a search and found the rotary dumper at Advanced Model Railroad (type “dumper” into their search engine) and found the Walthers rotary dumper.
I know a few people have mechanized the Rotary. Also, Sergent Engineering sells roatary coupler sthat allow the car to turn over without tipping the train or having to be uncoupled.
Not your route, but fun info nonetheless
These kits will look great for any modern era coal operation:
Walthers 933-3089
Walthers 933-3051
Walthers 933-3017
Walthers 933-2906
Norscot #730 Articulated Truck
Kibri Track Excavator
Kibri Water Sprayer
Kibri #974 High Shovel