aquarium gravel for coal

[romiin]

  I used aquarium gravel for coal in my hopper car.

[starfire700]

It looks good in a hopper, but is heavy, could cause operating problems. I also would not use aquarium gravel in pre or postwar loader accessories as it could clog and damage the loader. Lionel and repro simulated coal is available and usually reasonable, lightweight and made for use in loader accessories. Just my experience.

[romiin]

  I hear ya.  But I put a cardboard stopper in the car before the gravel, so there isn't really much in there.  My trains are for display only  at the moment. But if I took a notion to run them I would have to make some changes. Like my crane and lumber car might not make a corner without a problem.

[starfire700]

A good way to use aquarium gravel without a weight or top-heavy issue would be to make cardboard inserts that fit the hopper, paint them black and glue a thin layer of the gravel to the insert.