Yes the switch engine may be a problem for me, because I don’t have anything in steam. I’ve been reading everything I could find and I also reread the Walthers Engine Servicing Facility brochure and it says “The first stop was usually the Ash Pit” to empty the ashpan and then off to the Coal Tower where it also got water from underground pipelines fed to trackside water cranes from remote water towers. I’m assuming that the water cranes were next to the Coal Tower. I’m not sure but I think the sand was also loaded into to Modern Coaling Tower because they remained in service for loading sand in Diesels long after coal was gone.. So if this is true, then I only need the Ash Conveyer Tower, a Modern Coaling Tower, and a trackside water crane. This means I need to go back to the drawing board, because if the Ash tower is before the Coaling Tower than I just might be able to have it go straight to the roundtable.
I'd double check your sources on reusing coaling towers if I were you. I'm no expert, but that's a new one to me. Coaling towers are wide, high power flood chutes, most sand basins on steam and diesel were smaller openings. It;s possible that WET sand was kept in the towers, but it still has to be dried before it can go into a locomotive, and would go into a seperate sanding tower after the drying process occured. I once wanted to do the one-stop shop for a steamer, the thing I leanerned though, is that the spacing from firebox to center of the tender is going to be different on a 2-8-0 than it will be on a 4-8-4. You';re more likely to get the water and coal together, but even that's a stretch. Coal and Sand maybe, as you'll need a sand hose regardless of where the sand tower is kept, but that's not something I;ve seen done. So don't get hung up on that. And, if your doing Modern Modern steam, then you can forget the coaling tower altogeher. A railroad isn't going to build a concrete monstorcity for two steam locos, when a front-loader and a ramp or a portable conveyor can do teh same thing. Most of the time, a coaling tower still stands simply because it was built to LAST. And guess what, they did. It's more of a hassle oftentimes for a railroad to close off that part fo their yard and dynamite the big ol' elephant of a concrtete building than it is to ust leave it for as long as they can. It works in Frnakfort IN, and Michigan City, and, and, and...
I know that the sand has to be dried and sifted then raised up with compressed air into a trackside tower, but I don’t see anything like this in N-scale or any other scale. There’s lots of stuff for modern day diesels, but were they also the same during the late steam days? Anyway here is all I got to go by for a service facility. http://www.walthers.com/instructions/extras/0933/09330000003261a.pdf
I think you are correct because I’ve been studying the Coaling Tower Photo in the Walthers Service Article and I don’t see any way that there could be a sand filling hose. As you say it would have to be pretty far in front of the Coaling Tower, especially in the case of a Challenger or Big Boy. I’m kind of getting discouraged and I’m thinking of abandoning the whole operation and buy a new Kato COLA with 2 new E’s instead. cool:
Consider: "Scaled Compression" - Adjusting realistically for due to the scale "Most likely there is a prototype out there that does it"
Ok, to set the record straight. Different railroads used different towers for different purposes Ie., Sand tower, coal tower, water towers and etc. See example in Omaha, Nebraska. Depending on the location and the number of locomotives to service you could find single towers, dual purpose towers, for coal and sand drops, not to forget a single water spout. See the Rio Grande in Durango, Colorado. Then if you want to see a minimum type of service ride the steam train that runs from Durango to Silverton and see what kind of facilities they have in Silverton, Colorado. Watch as a skip loader loads the coal in Durango...today. You can design this anyway you want and most likely....see signature below. That is if it shows up.
Not sure about where th edring process takes place in modern era, but the towers and pipes ought to be the same. http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/683-1103 Hmm, all the diesel towers don't show a sand house.
Thanks I found this and the right up says it was around for a long time so I’m guessing it might work http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/933-3813 I know that there’s no way its going to be prototype. The ramp up from the helix below eliminates that possibility. I just want it real as far as functionally. I’ve only been interested in steam for a few months and I really don’t know anything. I just can’t imagine how a Challenger would be serviced with things separated in such short distances. Does the engine remain running while it having all these things being done so that it can move between each operation?
Well it looks like this is not going to happen to soon because Walthers postponed delivery of the Turntable until 26-Jul-2011. :tb-frown:
I was looking for several different items for my layout, And saw a cinder tower that really looked like a coaling tower in Miniature. Now i can't remember what site i was on....crs! I keep thinking it was on Wathers but could be wrong. Dan I found it, ugg my eyes are shot!!
Thanks Dan, I decided to go ahead and place my order for the Walthers 933-3816 Cinder Conveyor and Ash Pit, Kit, Walthers 933-3205 Shady Junction Structures Kit, and the Walthers 933-3813 Sanding Towers and Drying House Kit last night. So I’m pretty much committed to finish this project now. I just have to wait until the end of July to buy the Turntable and Round house. :tb-sad:
Johnny, I found a PDF that might help: Buildings and structures of American ... - Google Books I'm thinking, you may have already referred to this resource. I hope this helps.
