Sand delivery systems for steamers

[Richard Gude]

I have just completed the Stewart #102 Sand Tower. No I am not sure how to mount it. I have a sand bin and sand house and a new Walthers diesel fueling facility, which I have modified by shortening it and removing the "shed". My question is how did sand get delivered from the tower tank to the engines-diesel or steam? I guess I assumed it was gravity feed.

The other problem I am having is the length of the sand hoses that hang down from the delivery tubes. Right now if I mount the sand tower on a pad that is track height the delivery pipes even without hoses won't clear my 4-8-4. :cry:

Can anyone answer my questions and give me some advice on mounting this unit?

Thanks, Rhg

 

[MasonJar]

Hi Richard,

Don't have any experience with the kit you built, but the tower should be mounted with the base at track level. The sanding hose(s) should hang down beside the track. In practice, the hose is lifted over to the sand dome/box for filling.

Sanding in steam days was a bit different than today. "Green" or wet sand was delivered to a bin with a drying house that dried the sand and blew it into an elevated hopper for gravity feed to the sand dome.

Today, sand is delivered dry in a covered hopper that replaces the bin and drying house. Compressed air moves the sand to the elevated bin for gravity feed to the locos. The locos themselves may supply the compressed air, where in steam days, a pump/compressor in the drying house may have done it.

Good luck with your model. Search www.walthers.com ("sanding") for lots of pictures of completed kits.

Andrew