08-24-2010, 11:43 AM
works well for me 
. just a few comments on coal loads(worked in the coal mines for a time) the loads will depend on your era , for moderen loads its called steam coal size is dust to 2 to 3 inches depending on the mine (some might be a tad smaller), from about the 70's back loads mixed most were steam coal some lump, 50's&60's were less steam more lump 6 to 8 inch and nuget or some times called stoker inch and a half to two inches coated with oil to keep dust down , mine run was dust to biggest chunck that the mine produced earlier the use of mechanical miners wasn't in commen use so under -cutting and shooting it down was common (befdore that it was shooting on the solid) so mine run had larger chunks, also slack coal was shipped then as a separate load , some roads used it in locos(wootten fire box) as it was the cheepest form of coal then. also as to cars carrying coal the hopper were not the only cars used a lot of coal was shipped in drop bottom gons and regular gons.
as the loads ran down the track they tended to vibrate down to more even looking piles in cars. also size is listed as say 0/8 or 0/6 means dust to 6 or 8 inch chunks.
hope this info is usefull
. just a few comments on coal loads(worked in the coal mines for a time) the loads will depend on your era , for moderen loads its called steam coal size is dust to 2 to 3 inches depending on the mine (some might be a tad smaller), from about the 70's back loads mixed most were steam coal some lump, 50's&60's were less steam more lump 6 to 8 inch and nuget or some times called stoker inch and a half to two inches coated with oil to keep dust down , mine run was dust to biggest chunck that the mine produced earlier the use of mechanical miners wasn't in commen use so under -cutting and shooting it down was common (befdore that it was shooting on the solid) so mine run had larger chunks, also slack coal was shipped then as a separate load , some roads used it in locos(wootten fire box) as it was the cheepest form of coal then. also as to cars carrying coal the hopper were not the only cars used a lot of coal was shipped in drop bottom gons and regular gons.as the loads ran down the track they tended to vibrate down to more even looking piles in cars. also size is listed as say 0/8 or 0/6 means dust to 6 or 8 inch chunks.
hope this info is usefull