HO Coal cars
- Thread starter dozerdave
- Start date
chessie_system3
Well-Known Member
When you say operating gate are you talking in a sense like if I remember correctly what Tyco had out way back in the day? I only ask because I have a few hoppers that the gates open on I wouldn't say operate however.
GeeTee
Well-Known Member
I assume you mean a hopper car with hopper gates that actually open ? HO? N? O?
in HO the only ones that I remember is the Mantua and it weighs a ton.
D&J RailRoad
Professor of HO
I have one of them.
Yes something like that. For a long time now I have had in My mind an operating Mine and an Operating dump station. But to make it work I need Coal Cars with operating gates. And like You say like Tyco made. I can find one or two here and there. Just a Dream I have had in mind for a long time now. And wondering if there wear any manufactured today...
chessie_system3
Well-Known Member
I dont think anyone makes them anymore. I know theres a few Tyco ones on ebay right now. May possibly be able to get your hands on the hoppers themselves but it may be hard to come by.
Iron Horseman
Well-Known Member
Hmmm, a few years back I operated on a layout that had real fill the hopper, move the load, and dump the hopper. I am trying to remember how they did it. To fill was easy one poked a funnel through the roof of the mine tipple. At the other end of the layout was an unloader that went into bucket where everything got dumped, just don't remember how.
chessie_system3
Well-Known Member
Well this guy has it figured out that's for sure.
Food for thought or is it the wrong era?
D&J RailRoad
Professor of HO
kjd
Go make something!
So I tried to do what you are describing. I started with a Walthers 100t Bethlehem triple hopper and popped off the "door" castings. I opened up the bottom of the bays and made little hinges with a piece of bent wire and some hypodermic tubing. To hold the gates shut, I bent a piece of music wire and mounted it into a hole I drilled in the frame. I didn't figure out how to open the gates besides carefully picking them open with a screw driver.
I use crushed walnut shell for coal. It is dyed black with Rit dye but something in the process makes it slightly magnetic. It is also susceptible to static electricity and clings to the sides of the plastic cars somewhat unrealistically. It isn't really a problem in the rotary dumper but got in the way of trying to close the doors on the hopper.
I haven't taken the experiment any farther and the modified car is just another one in the train going through the rotary dumper.
Here's one of the dumper in slow motion
I think the car is in a loaded train at the moment but if I catch it when it goes by, I'll post a photo.
I use crushed walnut shell for coal. It is dyed black with Rit dye but something in the process makes it slightly magnetic. It is also susceptible to static electricity and clings to the sides of the plastic cars somewhat unrealistically. It isn't really a problem in the rotary dumper but got in the way of trying to close the doors on the hopper.
I haven't taken the experiment any farther and the modified car is just another one in the train going through the rotary dumper.
Here's one of the dumper in slow motion
I think the car is in a loaded train at the moment but if I catch it when it goes by, I'll post a photo.
GeeTee
Well-Known Member
Maybe this will make it more clear.
The Mantua has a hook and tab , a tab on the gate and a hook on the hopper.
Close up of the gate tab and hook.
Side view gates closed
Operating the gates , I just used a strip of cardboard that I had laying around. Lift the gate with the "tool " till the tab clears the hook and pull back slightly (with a load as soon as you lift the gate it will probably blow open on its own ) a notch in the tool wood probably help.
Gate open
Manually operated just like the prototype. If you wanted you could mount a solenoid under the track so you push a button and lift a bar to dump both at the same time.
The Mantua has a hook and tab , a tab on the gate and a hook on the hopper.
Close up of the gate tab and hook.
Side view gates closed
Operating the gates , I just used a strip of cardboard that I had laying around. Lift the gate with the "tool " till the tab clears the hook and pull back slightly (with a load as soon as you lift the gate it will probably blow open on its own ) a notch in the tool wood probably help.
Gate open
Manually operated just like the prototype. If you wanted you could mount a solenoid under the track so you push a button and lift a bar to dump both at the same time.
BigGRacing
Aka. Gary Russell
I remember having one of those cars many many moons ago
CambriaArea51
Well-Known Member
Our club does coal operations, I have the loader and another club member has the dumper.
kjd
Go make something!
Here are a couple photos of the modified hopper. Just quick phone pics compete with dust. The hinges and latches are thin music wire, probably .020" or so. The hinge pieces fit into channels molded into the door. The added crossbar just slips over the latch with a little pressure. I was thinking the cars could be emptied by pushing up on the latch but like I said above, haven't done more with the experiment.
Stay negative,
Stay negative,
The filling I have figured out. And I have seen rotary dumpers. For many years now the idea of a Phot typical car dump has been in My head. If I can find a Ore Car with operating gates I think I could figure it out. Just an Idea that has always been there...
Thanks. Just an idea I'm working on. May end up Scratch building...
kjd
Go make something!
Another modeler was trying to empty his ore cars, the short 24' ish types used in iron ore mining. His solution was to cut a slot in the bottom of the trough to let the material out. To keep it in, he had a short piece of metal rod that covered it up and kept the material in. The unloading trestle had a wire that pushed the metal rod up and let the load fall out of the car around it.
