Coal Plant Module

[402drvr]

Hi folks,

For the new layout I am going to include a coal power plant. There are not many of these in my area that I know of but I have a bunch of coal cars with no real purpose. So far I have included a track for full hoppers, a track for empties, a track for pushing cars through an enclosed rotary dumper, a track for a plant owned 45 tonner to do the work, and a bypass track off the main where cars can be left or picked up by the main line's local.

What other cars might be needed for this kind of facility? Anyone who has done this have a track plan they could show me, or pics?

Thanks

As always I am looking for CSX 40' outside braced ballast hoppers. PM me if you have or know of any and that are looking for a new owner. Thanks

 

[NH Mike]

Steam turbine power plants also received various lubricating oils and boiler treatment chemicals. Lubricants typically arrived in 55 gallon drums. Boiler chemicals and treatments could be either in drums or bulk dry bags like 50 or 80 lb sizes. These generally were brought in by truck however you could have the local drop off a boxcar or gondola on an infrequent basis to add some variety to the switching of the plant. Another once in a while load could be a gondola of pipe and valves. Even a flatcar load of firebrick once in a blue moon would indicate a boiler shut down for replacement of the fireside. Firebrick is not red but a very pale yellow. Floquil antique white is a close match.

 

[402drvr]

great info thanks

I did include one extra track and made the 45 tonners track long enought o accomodate a couple cars so there would be room for this kind of traffic in addition to the normal coal loads.

 

[UP2CSX]

You also need to think about a good sized stub end unloading dock. Transformer and relay changeouts occur on a regular basis, and they get delivered to the plant by rail. They are heavy, so they need a beefy unloading dock to handle them. Some plants also ship out fly and bottom ash in covered hoppers for recycling.

 

[Steve B]

Maybe you could consider a stone quarry instead of a coal mine, you could do this on a smaller scale than a coal plant but it is still just as much fun to model and operate.
i used a Walthers coal kit o make this stone loader, i built a large hopper inside it and used an RC servo to control a sliding brass gate to allow loading to take place, i cant find any pictures of it in detail and i no longer have it.

another section of the old layout which accepted used ballast, i did plan on having a screening plant here

 

[Steve B]

Ah ha, found them. you get the idea anyway, the supply conveyor from the quarry dissapeared into the backdrop eventually and you assumed the quarry was behing the hill

 

[PEIR]

That looks like a well laid out facility. Do you have any video of the gravel loader in action?

 

[BIG-D]

a video would be so cool as i am also planning a coal module for a group here in springs an operating dump at a show would be awesome

 

[402drvr]

Thanks for the input guys. I have redesigned the module layout to include the things mentioned. I have a long double ended spur so all switching will be off the main which I understand is normal for a class I railroad. Off that I have two spurs for storage tracks, one for empties and one for loaded. A third spur goes to my rotary dumper, and a fourth goes to a loading dock attached to the power plant for loading and unloading heavy equipment. I was toying with the idea of a second line by the plant for the loading of covered hopers with ash through some sort of chute. Not sure how prototypical that would be, might just leave that out.

I would like to not use an actual rotary dump as that is pretty expensive so I'd like your input on the following idea. The dumper would be enclosed in some building. The coal would actually be iron filings which actually look pretty good. I would create an electromagnet that is moved over the hopper and lowered into it. Switch on the magnet and it lifts the filings (coal) out. Then it moves to the side the magnet is shut off and the coal drops into a receptacle under the layout. I am working on the magnet, not sure if I can generate the power I need or not. Any ideas how to do something like this?

Thanks

 

[bkpigs]

I would definitely stay away from any ferous material (metal shavings). They will find their way into you motors in you locomotives and render them useless.

One idea I had but don't have the space, time, or money right now to do it is to use the plastic coal loads that just sit on the top of the hoppers. Add a strip of metal to the underside of them and use an electromagnet to lift them off and on. It would take alot of time to make something that could do this automaticaly and transfer the loads back to the mine under the table. But, if it can be done I would think it would be much better than the loose coal loads. They just seem to messy to me.

 

[402drvr]

you know i didn't even think of that point. The shavings would definetely find their way into all sorts of bad places. Thanks for pointing that out. I think I was actually moving away from them as of last night anyway. It would take so long for a magnet to empty the filings that it woyuld be ridiculous. Ontop of that the filings themselves in order to look like a real load make the car extremely heavy. As the idea is for the coal train to come from staging under the table it would be terrrible if not impossible for my locos to pull a train of any length up that grade with such weight. I'd hadthe same idea as you mentioned of putting a magnet under the plastic load. I am trying to figure out where to get an electromagnet or build one strong enough to lift the load.

Then I would need to design some sort of track for the magnet to move back and forth on and perhaps a way to bring it up and down. It is a lot but I think it can be done. I know a couple folks who might be able to help me design something like this. Any ideas on here would be much appreciated.

 

[Motley]

You can use the Kadee under the track magnets, they are very strong.

 

[402drvr]

I have not had a chance to pick up a kadee electric uncoupler. But here's an ideaand maybe you guys could tell me if it might work. Inside a shed or something I would have a pair of tracks mounted with most ties removed. THrough the hole where the truck normally goes to the car I would mount a kadee uncoupler. The track would allow the mounted uncouplerto be moved back and forth with the uncoupler set at just a height as to allow the load to be picked up magnetically and moved sideways away from the hopper.

To move the assembly back and forth on the track I would mount a spring on one side and another kadee electric uncoupler sideways on the opposite wall. The spring would hold the assembly in a position over the tracks the hopper rolls in on. The sideways uncoupler would be turned on to pull the whole a=carriage over a hole for the load to drop through. Then the magnet holding the loadis turned off, the load drops, then the magnet pulling the carriage in truned off releasing the carriage allowing the spring to roll it back for the next hopper.

So far my concerns are:


the kadee may not be strong enough to lift the load

the other kadee may not be enough to pull the carriage assembly against the spring tension

The building to house this may be unrealistically large.

Any other thoughts or comments?

Thanks

 

[402drvr]

talked to a friend at the club the other night and he talked me out of using a kadee to pull the track side to side. Instead he suggested a motorized screw drivewith a nut on the crane assembly. I have no idea how to design this though.

Would sppreciate any input.

 

[402drvr]

View attachment 21087

Okay here is the module plan hopefully. The idea is for the spur to hold about twelve 40' hoppers and maybe one or two covered hoppers for ash or a flatcar for heavy shipments.

Two storage tracks are included each holding about six cars. A thirs track goes to the rotary dumper in which my crane will be housed.

Thanks

Hope the image comes up