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Coal - coal mines, delivery trucks, coal piles, ect.
Many village scenes have piles of coal or coal mines. Coal has been used for heating, fueling trains and power plants, and so many other things throughout the history of this country it only seems natural to have it in your village scene. But coal usally comes in such big pieces that making pieces that would be scale size can be difficult and quite a mess. Well I have found a little easier way to represent coal in my villages. I substitute the charcoal pieces used in fish tank filters. These small pieces of charcoal are about the right size to look authentic as lumps of coal in my trains, coal piles, or delivery trucks. Since the the charcoal comes in 1 lb. or less size boxes I don't have to purchase a lot more than I need at anyone time. Now this product can be purchased in larger sized containers if you are doing a large project.
Now to make the scenes more authentic I take some of the charcoal and crush it up with a small hammer. I use this crushed charcoal to sprinkle on the ground surrounding the coalpiles, areas where coal is being loaded/unloaded, or on my gravel roads if I want it to look like the county has put grit down on the icy roads. The really fine crush can be smeared on the side of trucks, loaders and smokestacks to give that smoked or dirty look.
I also like to take some of the charcoal and put it in a tiny little wheelborrow and park it beside a house as if the homeowner is hauling coal into the basement. This idea can also be used with little tiny buckets or people carrying buckets. I try to add realism to the scenes.
Remember that what makes a really interesting scene is the attention to detail. Noticing where and what "non-important items" to add to the scene can make the scene look real. Maybe something as simple as smearing a little fine crushed charcoal on the miners face and clothes can make it look as if he really has been working in the mine all day or night. Have fun, just remember there is no right and wrong details. The scene is your design. :)
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