The CB&Q hauled coal originating in the southern Illionis coal fields. I am trying to simulate some of those coal operations.
These photos show coal being handled on my Heartland Division of CB&Q (fictional division) . My trains haul coal from the mines to the steel mill and to the power house in the city. Also, some industries receive single carloads of coal.
Hoppers switched at the mine by a GP7:
Thanks for starting a coal-hauling thread, Garry [Y]
Here’s an overview of my company houses and the screening and washing house:
IMG_7349_fix by Edmund, on Flickr
IMG_7345_fix by Edmund, on Flickr
Regards, Ed
I feel honored to be sharing a thread with Garry and Ed.
Here is a picture of a string of STRATTON AND GILLETTE coal hoppers running on the beach route.
Thank you for starting this thread Garry. I really enjoyed the “train chasing” presentation of your pictures. I hope to see lots of pictures of trains hauling coal.
-Kevin
Enjoy it while you can. Coal is going the way of the Dodo - there was an article on the decline of the Powder River Basin in Trains in the past coupla months. Stored locos and cars that may never roll again, UP ripping up tracks laid down a decade ago for traffic volumes that never came. This is serious stuff, it’s no coinkydink that railroads started as a way to efficiently move coal and other bulk commodities from point A to B and bulk traffic remained the backbone ever since. One hundred car trains of one commodity - what’s been described as “wholesale” transportation. Trucks took away the far more lucrative “retail” traffic - what used to be LCL is now LTL. What, if anything is going to replace coal is a really big question - we may well see rail fading into a even lower percentage of the transporartion business without it.
To be less gloomy, IIRC, CB&Q used 2-10-2’s and the its fleet of 2-10-4’s to haul the Illinois coal back in the day. Always liked the looks of its Baldwin built class M-4 and M-4A Colorado types,
https://steamlocomotive.com/whyte/2-10-4/USA/photos/cbq6313-navari.jpg
https://steamlocomotive.com/locobase.php?country=USA&wheel=2-10-4&railroad=cbq
You’ll indulge us then as we enjoy a bit of nostagia.
You may feel different, Kevin, now that JaBear has joined the thread.
[(-D][(-D][(-D]
(Just kidding JaBear)
Rich
Great photo sequence, Garry. [Y]
What a great way to show operations on a layout.
Rich
Party Pooper! [N]
Rich
Coal might be in decline but until there is an alternative means of producing the energy we get from coal, it’s going to keep getting mined and moved by rail. That day is a long way off. I don’t expect to see it in my lifetime.
My own coal operations are quite simple. I didn’t have space for either a coal mine or a coal consuming industry, other than two coaling towers. I have matching sets of coal hoppers, one for empties and one for loads. 15 cars per train (HO). My schematic is loop-to-loop but I have bypass tracks for the coal trains so they are running on an oval in opposite directions. Loads in one direction, empties in the other. I run my coal trains as extras so whenever I feel like it, I can send a coal train onto the visible part of the layout.
I like that - - a lot. [Y]
Rich
Yep. This push for electric cars will, ironically, increase the demand for coal needed to make the electricity.
If one is modeling a railroad of a time when coal trains run, then coal trains will run. [:-^] [:D]
David
Great photos! Hard to tell of the scene is reality or a model.
I have a coal effort on my layout. Fun fact: about 70% of train operation in VA is coal. Let’s see how that changes.
Good morning
Well I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again. Beautiful modeling on your layout Garry! You too Ed! It was fun looking over the coal mining operations on your layouts over coffee this morning.
It was a toss-up for me to decide whether to model coal or ore on my layout since both are prevalent to the area up here. The satellites from space that discovered huge deposits of coal near the Powder River Basin area in Montana shifted coal mining operations into high gear a while back.
Driving across the plains in North Dakota to go visit my son I’ve seen very long coal drags with lead locomotives, a center and a pusher. You can see the whole train from some focal points driving down the highway as Judy would smack me on the arm as I was bouncing off the shoulder of the road watching[(-D]
BNSF doesn’t like to add radius dragging coal. They charge right through the middle of the small lakes to keep going straight. Too bad a train wasn’t on the mound while I took the picture.
The decision I made was to model ore. Since Duluth was in-between the two places I grew up in St Louis Park and then Voyageurs National Park, the ore modeling won the debate. DMIR, DWP, GN, then BN, Green Machines[:P]
Not a huge difference between modeling coal or modeling ore. Just a lot of smaller Bins hauling a lot of weight down the rails[:^)]
P.S. There’s the Bear’s Viaduct again[:P][Y][bow]
TF
Please, let’s not digress into an off-topic converation about long term trends regarding coal vs. other energy sources.
Thanks.
One of my favorites, a Pennsy N1s 2-10-2 hauling coal to one of the ports on Lake Erie that will be shipped by boat to somewhere on the upper great lakes. On the return trio these cars will be loaded with iron ore for the blast furnaces in Pittsburgh.
Rick Jesionowski
Demand for coal began with iron production in the 1700’s. Charcoal burners couldn’t keep up with the demand.
Turned out coal was handy stuff to fire steam engines which making iron and then steel made pretty easy.
Coal’s relationship with steel is permanent.
When steel making declined in North America (well everywhere high labour costs inhibited cost reductions) so did coal consumption. Then the greenies really got going as natural gas became so cheap and coal for power generation also declined.
But not everywhere.
Western Canada runs huge coal trains from the Rockies to the Pacific terminal at Roberts Bank.
We don’t burn much coal ourselves, never have because we don’t have the people using power. But we export the stuff to Asia where they do burn it both for steel making and power generation.
Coal and trains are going to be together for a very long time yet.
The more modern you get the more you’ll be tempted by N scale to model coal trains. You’d think N scale was developed specifically for modelling modern unit trains.
Ed: … You are welcome. Your coal mine scene is awesome.
Kevin … You are welcome, too. Your S&G hoppers look great.
Bear … Thsnks for sharing a beautiful picture.
riogrande5761 … Very nice D&RGW train. Thanks for posting it.
Rich … Thanks for your kind remarks.
JohnNWBW … Thanks for explaining your coal operations.
David North Brit. … Yes, most layouts represent a certain era.
kassakaboose … Thanks for commenting about the photos.
TF … Thanks for your comments and for the photos. Actually, I also have an ore train. It runs from my staging yard to the steel mill.
Rick … Thanks for the very nice photo of the PRR coal train with a 2-10-2.
Last Spike Mike … I agree N Scale is good for long unit trains.
Well I beg your humble pardon Garry. I will refrain from other things as well[;)]
TF
