We use real coal for our coal scuttle.  Our coal is bituminous "fire place" 
coal purchased from a local charcoal dealer (his primary business is selling 
high end charcoal to restaurants.)



Coal varied by region.  Here in California our coal was likely imported from 
Liverpool as ballast on wheat ships.  In the Midwest or east you should 
consider anthracite hard coal instead.  It would be cleaner and would 
probably be more accurate for domestic use.



Depending on the year you are representing you could even paint the 
anthracite blue aka blue coal, an early branding, with radio ads on some of 
the "shadow" tapes.  I have found a report of a railroad locomotive using 
anthracite painted white for a publicity stunt. "Phoebe Snow, Her dress 
stays pearly white because she rides the road of Anthracite"



Depending upon the quality, coal can be a bit "greasy" but the stuff we have 
isn't.



We do need to wash it annually to get the dust off.  We simply rinse it in 
the sink in our catering kitchen then let it air dry.



If you were concerned with coal dust it would be easy to simply use spray 
shellac or lacquer to seal the dust in.




Randy Hees

Patterson House at Ardenwood Historic Farm

City of Fremont, California

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