The coal tower at Greensburg IN taken from the west and then the east around 1933 Marc Haston Collection.
I have to ask a question out of ignorance. The hopper that is on the ramp, in the bottom picture, is it getting loaded or unloaded. I ask this because I really don't know how the coaling towers work. It looks like it may be lined up under some type of chute for loading or is that just a covering over the the unloading area? For some reason I am under the impression that cars were loaded under the wider section (opening) of the tower. Gary
Back when coal burning steam ruled. Not many of these left. Thanks, Roger. I don't really know how they worked but think the hoppers are the suppliers, and there is some sort of vertical conveyor to carry their loads up to the main coal storage area. You are right about locomotive tenders coaling up under the wider opening. :tb-biggrin:
I go with your second guess - that is just weather protection over the hopper car. It looks like the coal load is dumped from the hopper into a pit under the ramp. There appears to be a hoisting mechanism in the open framework up the side of the coaling station. That would transport the coal from the pit into the bunkers in the top of the coaling station. Tenders would be filled from the bunkers by means of chutes which would direct the coal over the centers of the two tracks under the coaling station.
Roger, you have access to some of the best NYC photos....Thanks! That tower looks similar to one I built years ago offered by Walthers (I think?). Though I never thought to place the hopper supply track on a ramp. That adds an excellent interest factor.
I was a sleep again when you posted this.We had to take coal with the H-10, L-2,H-5,6.and the L-3,4. The H-10,L-2 had about the same tender and we took coal down and back.They engine house at Jeff would fill it up at Jeff for the return trip.There was a coal tower crew on duty during the day but we took the coal at night. As with all things the wind under the dock would blow in all directions.When you cranked the shute down and then opened the coal gate dirt dust and whatever else was in the air landed on the fireman taking coal.The L-3,4 with the big tender would go from Anderson to Jeff without taking coal and they would re coal them at Jeff. Then they did away with coaling them at Jeff and you could run from Anderson to Jeff and back to G burg and take coal .That is one thing I did not miss,taking coal at G burg. LEW
