In my travels I’ve picked up a number of lumps of coal. Some from hiking the unused portions of the EBT, others closer to home on little used branches of the old New Haven RR. To make scale sized lumps I built a breaker - 12x12 plywood box with a concrete paver on the bottom. Put in a few lumps then use my 10x10 tamper to smash it. I’ve also tried putting lumps in an old sock and smashing it with a hammer.
All of my steam locos except Shay #5 run with real coal loads loosely piled on a styrene sheet. I don’t like the look of glued piles. #5 is still the original plastic load because I need the height for electronics.
I used to run loaded hoppers. Pink foam filling the bottom, then a loose pile of coal on top. This make for very realistic material spills during derailments…
