Coal

Have you tried eBay? I've found it there in the past. 

I wonder if anyone has tried crunching and grading their own coal from scrap Bakelite or other black plastic?

Yes, I did awhile ago and it doesn't work very well. I didn't use rollers, maybe they would be better.

here is what you need.

http://www.conwaycoal.com/

Dennis Brennan is another good option for gondolas and coal cars but is not in his website.

Andre.

I finished cleaning up a 397 I got and was searching the forum for coal recommendations. A lot of folks seemed to go with fish tank gravel. Figured I try it especially since it was only $3.99 for about 5 lbs. It's definitely not scale sized, more like small boulders but it works great. Doesn't create as big a mess as the smaller stuff.

I use Black Diamond Medium Blasting Abrasives for coal (found the suggestion on another message board that I cannot remember).  You can buy a 50 pound bag at Tractor Supply for around $8.00.  It looks great except for the occasional lighter pieces that you can pick out or you can paint with a flat black and another very light coat of gloss black to give a slight shine.

The bag is more than enough to create my own coal loads or to modify the standard manufacturer molded coal inserts by gluing the abrasives to the molds. At the rate that I'm currently using it, it will end up being a lifetime supply.

-Ed Abbot 

The best coal loads that I have seen and used are from www.dcrailandhobby.com. He bought out Hampton Hobby Loads some years ago. They also do any custom load that you might want. They also make GREAT trees!!