I finally got back to work on the 8 I have. And thunk up a dumb question… Does anybody sell removable coal loads for them?
I have never seen any, but that doesn’t mean there’s not some source out there somewhere. I make them up myself out of Styrofoam.
Like Ken, I’ve made a few. I filled the hopper void with pink foam cut to fit (less messy than Styrofoam) then covered the top with real crushed coal. I never glue in my coal so it does make for some realistic spills at times 
WOW!!! Nice picture Jon. I see that the boxcar took a good hit.
Not wanting to remove the horizontal members on top of these cars, and wanting to keep things light, I use loose chipped foam dyed black.
Mik & all; A long time ago, I had a chance to purchase coarsely chopped, dyed cork. I think I was told that it had been used for some store window displays. I show some of it below, posing as Mithril ore. The black version made for convincing mine-run coal.
(http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/davemeashey/BnG8.jpg)
I don’t know where to tell you to look for chopped cork, but should you ever come across it, I’d recommend purchasing it. I remember reading somewhere that the prototypes for the Delton hoppers were actually built as “rock cars” to serve the copper mines in northern Michigan. They spent the first part of their “lives” hauling copper ore. Best, David Meashey
This side of the pond -I am sure it is no different on the Western side - it is possible to buy wall and floor cork tiles. These could be broken up into small pieces quite easily. Failing this take a vacation to Portugal where there are large plantations of cork trees. Maybe cork trees grow in the States; so it would be shorter trip and no passport needed.
Thanks Alan;
I don’t do enough remodeling to remember that source, but I will store your idea away for future (train) projects.
Best,
David Meashey
I use foam insulation cut to fit the coal car and spray painted flat black, then glue fish tank activated carbon on top in layers until I get the shape I want. It makes very nice coal loads.
Ron
I have a coal load for the Delton hopper that I got when I bought a few old used ones from auction site. And one of them is some sort of resin rectangle with two neat channels to fit over the supports and the top is a good looking load of burgandy rocks, perhaps ore? Of course, I have no idea where it came from, but looks good-perhaps I could make a mold of it and make more…
Jerry