Show us your Plasticville Coaling Tower

In-progress shot of mine. Two kits used to make the bin larger, scratch-built machinery house:

I kitbashed 2 coaling tower kits together, side by side, made it taller with evergreen siding...  added exterior side bracing over existing molded in timbers out of plastruct.  Also added tichy nuts/washers & scratchbuilt coal chutes.  

I followed the recommendations about beefing up the large support timbers on the base by adding plastruct pieces on all 4 sides of the original supports and scribed them with Zona Saw....  These modifications were based on an article in Classic Toy Trains (probably 10 years ago ?) 

I still have to complete the stair modifications and add lighting, and pulleys/chains for the chutes, but it's pretty far along at this point.  

Very cool!

I have a couple of different craftsman kits for large concrete and wooden coaling towers, that l think are too large for this short line, so l am thinking about kitbashing a Plasticville one or two into single chute towers. I would also like to see some creative renditions that don't LOOK like Plasticville.

Very nice Chris. I seen another member post a picture way back where he used 3 of these kits and it was also impressive.

I was motivated enough to buy three and was going to copy his.

But things happen and I changed plans and the kits are still around here somewhere.  I cheated and ended up with a assembled coal tower.lol

NIce  work all. Jim something happen to your pictures they were on here.

Larry

Here is a coal tower on my N scale layout made by plasticville.

From the seventies.

s.

Chris. Very neat job mate.

I'm a big fan of kit bashing kits in the days when you could buy them! Roo.

Larry SR., Thank you for telling me my pictures went a missing. Take care and have a wonderful week.

Merry Christmas

Here is mine

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Steve

We have two on the club layout.

I made two modifications to the Plasticville Bachmann 1975 Coaling Station kit.

My first kitbash was to make a raised roof Coaling Station to replace the 1975 flat roof. I always liked the looks of that style coal station.  I used 1/8 inch tempered Masonite with one smooth side.  The sides were scored with a knife to look like siding.  Windows were installed in the top section.  A sheet metal roof, obtained at a train show, was installed.

The next project was using another Bachmann Coal Station to make a Coal Mine and Coal Loading Station.  The kit was used to make the Coal Mine Entrance into the underground mine in the mountain.

A new “A” frame roof was built for the top out of 1/8 inch Masonite with a window in the end and the end was scored to be vertical siding.  The roof was roofed with some of the kit roofing.

The Coal Loading Section was also made of Masonite.   The outside walls were scored with a knife to be vertical siding.  Windows were in the installed in the side and end walls. 

A slide gate valve was made of plywood and held opened with a rubber band.  A 12v solenoid (DC solenoid rectified to AC) was use to hold the slide valve closed and to return the solenoid plunger out to engage a notch in the arm of the slide gate valve to hold it closed.  A coal storage funnel was made from card board stock.

 Picture of Plunger return rubber band, slide gate with hole in center and notch for solenoid plunger, black solenoid and card board coal funnel is below.  This rubber band holds the solenoid plunger in the notch in the arm of the gate and keep the hole closed, ready to hold and drop coal.  See the wire in bottom of cone tied to the solenoid plunger which is operated to break up coal jams in cone.  The black bridge rectifier can be seen that converts the DC solenoid to operate on AC.

This picture also shows the slide valve closed (hole in slide gate is not under the funnel hole and the solid part of the slide gate is blocking the funnel hole)  and the solenoid arm is holding the slide gate closed.   When the solenoid is activated, the plunger withdraws and is removed from the notch in the slide gate letting the gate shift to the right and move the hole under the funnel filled with coal. 

The dark pill shaped item on the bottom of the Coal loading section is one of two 12 v light bulbs that are in a slot that allows light to illuminate the inside of the loading section and also track and car area below the Coaling loading section.  Neat Ugh?

More details are in post 15 at the link below.

https://ogrforum.com/...ra-027-layout?page=2

Charlie

A nice coaling tower would make a great item for Menard's to build.

In the midst's of the industrial area'             click to enlarge: