Coal Vending Machine!

 
User avatar
Yanche
Member
Posts: 3026
Joined: Fri. Dec. 23, 2005 12:45 pm
Location: Sykesville, Maryland
Stoker Coal Boiler: Alternate Heating Systems S-130
Coal Size/Type: Anthracite Pea

Post by Yanche » Wed. Feb. 07, 2007 2:17 am

Who says coal fuel is an old fuel. Coal sales has a modern look, VENDING MACHINE sales! For only sixteen quarters you can have your coal any time day or night. My local coal supplier, a third generation family business, has been selling coal out of a vending machine for the last 20 years. Forty years ago the machine dispensed block, cubed and shaved ice. As the bulk ice sales market moved to convenience stores and the refrigeration unit needed repair it was abandoned. My coal retailer acquired the machine and converted it to dispense coal. Inside are mechanized shelves that held the ice blocks. A block of ice would be slid to a trap door. When the coin collector was satisfied the trap door would open, dropping the ice and advancing a new block of ice. My coal dealer first tried bags of coal but they would break when they fell. A heavy cardboard box worked. He sells about 1500 boxes a season. $4 for a 33 pound box of coal. He fills the boxes in the summer months directly from his coal truck's chute. The coal must be very dry or the box will become wet and fail. Boxes are stacked and stored in a small building right behind the vending machine.

The coal vending machine is located on his coal yard in a residential and local business area of Hanover, PA. Typical customers are those who just need some extra heat for a cold night or just fire up the stove on weekends. I took these photos yesterday afternoon while I was getting a pick up truck load of pea sized Anthracite, $205 a ton.

Yanche

Attachments

Coal_Vending_w_Box.jpg

33 Pounds of Coal

.JPG | 122.7KB | Coal_Vending_w_Box.jpg
Coal_Vending.jpg

Coal Vending Machine

.JPG | 83.2KB | Coal_Vending.jpg


 
rouxzy
Member
Posts: 151
Joined: Wed. Mar. 01, 2006 7:23 pm
Location: Farmington, New Hampshire
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Harman Mark III
Coal Size/Type: Stove, Nut / Anthracite

Post by rouxzy » Wed. Feb. 07, 2007 3:50 am

That is so cool.
Tom

 
User avatar
keyman512us
Member
Posts: 58
Joined: Mon. Feb. 05, 2007 2:16 am
Location: North Worc. CTY MA

Post by keyman512us » Wed. Feb. 07, 2007 3:55 am

...Quite the vending machine, Too cool! (thanks for posting)

 
User avatar
Richard S.
Mayor
Posts: 15184
Joined: Fri. Oct. 01, 2004 8:35 pm
Location: NEPA
Stoker Coal Boiler: Van Wert VA1200
Coal Size/Type: Buckwheat/Anthracite

Post by Richard S. » Wed. Feb. 07, 2007 5:13 am

:lol: That's funny. Can't believe they box it. Seems like a lot of expense for 33 pounds of coal.

 
User avatar
Gary in Pennsylvania
Member
Posts: 208
Joined: Sun. Mar. 12, 2006 2:59 pm

Post by Gary in Pennsylvania » Thu. Feb. 08, 2007 8:33 am

That's really neat!

Thanks for sharing!

 
User avatar
Townsend
Member
Posts: 573
Joined: Tue. Nov. 21, 2006 7:38 pm
Location: Connecticut
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Hitzer 50-93 & Harman Mark I
Coal Size/Type: Pea / Nut

Post by Townsend » Mon. Sep. 26, 2011 10:33 am

Awesome, thanks for posting this!

 
User avatar
Freddy
Member
Posts: 7293
Joined: Fri. Apr. 11, 2008 2:54 pm
Location: Orrington, Maine
Stoker Coal Boiler: Axeman Anderson 130 (pea)
Coal Size/Type: Pea size, Superior, deep mined

Post by Freddy » Mon. Sep. 26, 2011 10:37 am

Gotta love it!


 
User avatar
EarthWindandFire
Member
Posts: 1594
Joined: Sat. Dec. 18, 2010 12:02 pm
Location: Connecticut
Hot Air Coal Stoker Furnace: Leisure Line Lil' Heater.
Other Heating: Oil Furnace and Kerosene Heaters.

Post by EarthWindandFire » Mon. Sep. 26, 2011 12:28 pm

A little american ingenuity goes a long way!

 
User avatar
japar
Member
Posts: 165
Joined: Tue. Oct. 16, 2007 8:52 pm
Location: Seekonk MA
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Hearthmate

Post by japar » Mon. Sep. 26, 2011 8:53 pm

Kudos for him I think thats so cool, I bet in the future those will be popping up outside your local convinence store, it could be placed right next to the $ 11 bundle of sex wood that they sell

 
User avatar
Richard S.
Mayor
Posts: 15184
Joined: Fri. Oct. 01, 2004 8:35 pm
Location: NEPA
Stoker Coal Boiler: Van Wert VA1200
Coal Size/Type: Buckwheat/Anthracite

Post by Richard S. » Mon. Sep. 26, 2011 11:27 pm

japar wrote: I bet in the future those will be popping up outside your local convinence store,
Note the date on the original post:

Wed Feb 07, 2007 3:17 am

 
User avatar
I'm On Fire
Member
Posts: 3918
Joined: Thu. Jun. 10, 2010 9:34 am
Location: Vernon, New Jersey
Hand Fed Coal Stove: DS Machines DS-1600 Hot Air Circulator

Post by I'm On Fire » Thu. Sep. 29, 2011 3:07 pm

Yes, but this is a thread that is truly worthy if necromancy. I wish there were dispensers like that every where.

 
User avatar
Greyhound
Member
Posts: 183
Joined: Sun. Jul. 01, 2007 1:04 am
Location: Axemann, PA (Centre County)
Hot Air Coal Stoker Stove: Keystoker 105
Coal Size/Type: Rice
Other Heating: Lenox Oil HA, Heat Pump

Post by Greyhound » Sun. Oct. 23, 2011 8:49 pm

Funny thing is I just saw another building like this on an auction site somewhere, ice vending machine, non converted.

 
User avatar
coaledsweat
Site Moderator
Posts: 13763
Joined: Fri. Oct. 27, 2006 2:05 pm
Location: Guilford, Connecticut
Stoker Coal Boiler: Axeman Anderson 260M
Coal Size/Type: Pea

Post by coaledsweat » Mon. Oct. 24, 2011 6:53 pm

I'm On Fire wrote:necromancy
I had to look that one up. :)

 
User avatar
Townsend
Member
Posts: 573
Joined: Tue. Nov. 21, 2006 7:38 pm
Location: Connecticut
Hand Fed Coal Stove: Hitzer 50-93 & Harman Mark I
Coal Size/Type: Pea / Nut

Post by Townsend » Tue. Nov. 01, 2011 8:29 pm

I'm On Fire wrote:Yes, but this is a thread that is truly worthy if necromancy. I wish there were dispensers like that every where.
Ha,ha,ha,ha!! That's a good one!

 
User avatar
I'm On Fire
Member
Posts: 3918
Joined: Thu. Jun. 10, 2010 9:34 am
Location: Vernon, New Jersey
Hand Fed Coal Stove: DS Machines DS-1600 Hot Air Circulator

Post by I'm On Fire » Thu. Nov. 03, 2011 2:07 pm

coaledsweat wrote:
I'm On Fire wrote:necromancy
I had to look that one up. :)
Can you tell I play a lot of video games?


Post Reply

Return to “Coal News & General Coal Discussions”