Does anybody use real coal in their scenery or on their cars?

Uh, doesn't real coal give off radon?

George

@G3750 posted:

Uh, doesn't real coal give off radon?

George

Never seemed to bother me back in my hand firing days.

To answer the OP's question, yes I used real coal underneath the coal dock, in the steam locomotive servicing area. Theonly draw back was, it slowly began to oxidize and the surfaces of many of the "lumps" turned light gray (just like ash). I carefully picked those pieces out of the scene.

Manny,  Cut a circle from card stock, your choice of diameter but I'd start around three inches.  Cut out a slice, as in a 'slice of pie'.  Join the sides of the empty space to create a cone.  Obviously the wider the slice, the steeper the cone.  Cover with the adhesive of your choice and sprinkle with coal.  Let dry and repeat as desired.  John in Lansing, ILL

You didn't crush or cut off the cone's tip and cap it at an angle.

(no pointy coal piles )

@Hot Water posted:

Never seemed to bother me back in my hand firing days.

To answer the OP's question, yes I used real coal underneath the coal dock, in the steam locomotive servicing area. Theonly draw back was, it slowly began to oxidize and the surfaces of many of the "lumps" turned light gray (just like ash). I carefully picked those pieces out of the scene.

One way to avoid this might be to spray them with some type of clear coat finish(?) When I was young, my dad picked me up a piece of coal from the ground at Strasburg as a souvenir and hit it with a spray-on clear coat which prevented it from spreading coal dust as well as preserving it's color and shine. 

If you can find a piece of anthracite coal, grinding it up produces very nice-looking miniature coal.  It will not change color over time.

To make a realistic pile of any particulate material, simply make a REAL pile of it and dribble it with dilute white glue. 

Yes I use coal that was stripped from under my  family farm.

To make a large pile i take strifoam brush on white Elmer's glue and sprinkle it on.

I have added real coal loads to numerous tenders. I apply a heavy coat of Elmer's glue and cover with coal. After drying overnight, I soak it well with Woodland Scenics cement (the same glue I use for ballasting). After that is dry (overnight again), I tape everything off and give it a good soaking coat of Dullcoat. 

Yes i use real coal in my coal hoppers!!!

@Gilly@N&W posted:

I apply a heavy coat of Elmer's glue and cover with coal. After drying overnight, I soak it well with Woodland Scenics cement (the same glue I use for ballasting). 

Pretty much the same steps over blue foam cut to press fit in the car body.

I use aquarium filter charcoal

I have used real coal glued with "Wet" elmers glue.

I have also used black sand from the dollar store.  In my pic below, this is a fine sand, but they have some that is a little larger.

Have Fun!

Ron