02-24-2011, 12:14 PM
In the Mar-April 2010 issue of Model Railroad Hobbyist magazine, Charlie Comstock has an article on a one evening project titled "HOPPER LOADS Scenery Scene:One Evening Project". Instead of live loads, he uses a filler block made of pink foam cut to fit his hopper cars. The coal is glued to the top of the foam, and a steel washer is glued to the bottom of the foam with silicone. He then unloads the hoppers with a magnet, puts them in a container and carries them to the other end of the layout for reloading when the empties get back.