Heyl Patterson builds big ones and I made this little one. I started with some aluminum and steel scraps. After that added some plastic details and paint.

Hi David, did you see the link in the description? That is the closest there is to directions.

I made them from Kade #5s. I took it apart and drilled a hole the length of the shank. I cut the head off and reattached it with a pin. Then put it back together and install.

Go to 1:03 in the video and you will see it all stays connected.

The couplers are Kadee #5 modified to rotate. You can see them working better in my first rotary dumper video. I take the coupler apart, drill a hole through the shank (down its length), cut the head off and insert straight pin to reattach the head. Reassemble and install.

Thanks for your comment, Donald. The car advancement system, or indexer, is based on a real machine, needed to accurately place the railcars in the rotating dumper. Mine does the same function but doesn't look exactly the same. If you look up "rail car indexer" or "train positioner" you will find information on the various kinds. Some are hydraulic, with either hydraulic motors or hydraulic rams but I like the moving parts and simplicity of the cable driven indexer. In the description, there is a link to a build thread on the whole facility including the indexer.

Hal Padgett the coal is ground walnut shells dyed black(ish, I’ve learned more about dyeing and would get a better black now).

Hi, Brian!

finster101, thank you for the comment and you are correct in how it works. The lower arm is spring loaded and when it moves off its cam, it clamps down on the string and locks the car clamps in place. Well sort of, the car clamps can still be moved but it holds tight enough to keep the car in place while it's being emptied. That was by far the hardest part to figure out.

Here is a build thread on the Model Railroad Hobbyist forum: model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/33009

Mikkel Agner Clausen that would be ideal but it dumps into a tub under the layout.

I made them from Kade #5s. I took it apart and drilled a hole the length of the shank. I cut the head off and reattached it with a pin. Then put it back together and install.

@@paulmack4090 can you make a video of what that looks like? Love the concept

That is AWESOME. Better than just a loader...

@@paulmack4090 have a video of the making coupler process?

Hi David, the gate mechanism is a gear motor with a crank that moves the gate back and forth over the opening above the chute. I don't have a video but I wrote an article in the April 2010 Railroad Model Craftsman magazine that has photos of another working loadout I made.

Hi Dan, this one is older than my high school age daughter so you would be in for a long wait!