Thank you LNE401 for taking the time to snoop around and give the place a look-a-round. Nice to see that "Form follows function" with that truck dump in that the large windows may have just been a reuse of what was availible at the time. Looking forward to seeing your scetches, notes and photos. RDG-Barry, although I personally would enjoy seeing your photos of a PRR truck dump, we may be getting a little off subject with the READING MODELER. Maybe just a few photos posted will not jade the Reading communitiy. (Read, please!) Dan Bourque with the APPALACHIAN RAILROAD MODELING web site would be MORE that happy to see all your information as well as to post photos of said truck dump. His web site has beaucoup information about soft coal. Mr. Bourque is in constant search of new information and is a pleasure to correspond with.

OK, got home after a 72 hour stay in the hospital, uuugh!!! The first image would be a drawing from memory of the inside machinery, vibrator, hopper, elevations, etc. The second is recently processed coal awaiting rinse and load. Third, fresh concrete and steel bean supports. Fourth the vibrator screen. Fifth, lower level truck dump, note winch on side of building to raise and lower. Sixth is the supply and drain lines of the washery. Bill.

Ooops, forgot the car tugger photos.

LNE-401, Thank you for taking the effort to scout around that loader and take photos and notes. I do hope your hospital stay was not because of that trip to the loader and breaker, but rather a "I am free at last!" feeling to get out of a cage and go do something interesting!

Hello... sorry it's been awhile since I promised to post pictures of a truck coal dump facility that was near my grandparents house in central PA. As the pictures will show, the unique feature of this facility is the use of old hoppers! First as support for the main dump area and next, as a retaining wall at track side. Coal was loaded onto the train by front end loader, but it had an easy time of it, because of the hopper retaining wall, so the loader was "hopper high"... The track side pictures were taken just last year, on my way to the RRRMM I in October.

Here's a few more pictures... (8 image limit...)
Note - picture 7 shows the upside down hopper as the base support of the truck dump area!

Also, the last picture is from my layout, recreating that hopper wall!