Can you Goggle ‘coal cars’ and find a store nearby that sells them?
Are the coal cars available on Amazon?
“Where do those cars come from?”
That is a question most frequently asked about the models on display in Black Diamond Museum. Those cars have a special appeal for use as home décor. But no, they are not available in stores or online.
Howard Botts, mayor of Black Diamond for 26 years, designed and built the very first set of coal cars. They were used as centerpieces on dinner tables at Black Diamond’s All-School Reunion. For the last seven years, the cars have been built by Steve Israel, carpenter and craftsman who currently serves as president of Black Diamond Historical Society. He most often starts building the cars in a batch of twelve. The more he builds in a single time frame, the quicker the whole process goes. He estimated that “cranking them out by the dozen” takes about an hour per car (plus the set-up and clean-up chores). He follows the Howard Botts process to the tee. That process, as depicted in the photos, starts with using 4x4s and a table saw to carve out the shape of a coal car. The axle blocks, created from scratch, have holes made with a drill press. Coal car wheels are not made of rubber. Made in the U.S. by a wood products outlet, they are wood wheels that Steve paints black and attaches to the axle. At this point, he paints the cars white and computer printed labels are applied. The diamonds are created from craft paper cut into shape by Steve. He then mixes Black Diamond coal, supplied by Palmer Coking Coal, with a secret solution, Elmer’s Glue. The glue turns clear when setting up. The mix is piled on top of the solid block of wood.
The last step includes a warning label, “not a toy.” Coal cars are designer items intended to be displayed on a windowsill, within a bookcase, or on a ledge, a coffee table or desktop. They are available at the Black Diamond Museum for a suggested donation of $20.
