Several have done an ash pit....Dave from Crescent Locomotive Works makes a great one

Ash pit kits have often showed up  on the bay....l have one not yet installed.

Build your own. Check out my ashpit with gantry crane on the old Munoz Lines.

Run 250 – JUN/JUL 2011

This contains Eliot Scher's ash pit article.

Crescent Locomotive Works makes a beautiful cinder hoist plus a coaling tower.

Joe

Thanks, Joe

Here's the ash pit/cinder hoist from CLW in the early construction of the engine facility.

Thank you for all of your help.  The information you provided will definitely be incorporated into my layout.

Another way to do it is to leave out the middle rail and solder a piece of bare solid copper wire across the gap probably somewhere around 20 awg. The wire would be almost invisible at a distance, but maintain electrical continuity in the circuit. I plan on doing that (eventually) in my engine service area and the inspection pits in the engine house. This is not my idea. I've seen it done elsewhere.