Coaling Stations?

[NickNascati]

All,
     As you have all seen,  I've been building ships for my 1890 – 1930 Pulp games, and I know one thing I should add is a coaling station. Google search is not giving me what I want. Can anyone point me to a good photo or two?  I think it would make a good scene for a small skirmish, maybe a major plot point for Pulp Alley.

[Traveler Man]

I believe at their most basic they consisted of a stone or wooden wharf with the coal piled in gigantic heaps some distance back. Some kind of crane or cranes would be sited to swing the coal aboard a vessel alongside the dock.

I did find this image of an American coaling station at Sitka...

http://www.sitkaww2.com/navy/p2/5424.JPG

...and Paradise Cove, San Francisco.

http://www.boatingsf.com/photo/700356-romberg-tiburon-center

[former user]

and a railway line immediately adjacent

[NickNascati]

Probably no railway in this case.  I'm picturing a station on an island in the middle of nowhere, sort of "Last Coal for 500 Miles" kind of thing, with a couple of not so enthusiastic workers.

[Valerik]

Depends really Nick, that ol' real state theme, location, Location,  LOCATION!!



Halifax, Nova Scotia



Portsmouth

Anything in a country WITH coal will have the rail line access to supply the station.

Overseas you need a place to store the coal stockpiled there, a way to get it off the supply ship which doubles for getting it aboard the "thirsty" one!! 
Remember too these lonely overseas outposts were often supplied & re-stocked by windjammer!!



These chaps are using baskets, from a barge or lighter alongside



These chaps are using baskets too, note them being weighed centre



The Royal Navy uses Admiralty coal sacks to bring them aboard



USN also using coal sacks

I see you answered my question!!  I'm doing one myself!! 
I plan several open "bays" with loose coal, a shed for storing the sacks & tools, a scale if I can find one, & possibly a light rail line to & from the wharf, narrow gauge, perhaps even horse drawn.

Valerik

Great minds...

[Steve63]

Some photos of Sunderland South dock designed and built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel.
Scroll down a bit and look at the photos of coal staiths
http://www.searlecanada.org/sunderland/sunderland009.html
These were built to load coal from the Durham coal fields onto ships.

[juergen c. olk]

U.S.Somoa

[juergen c. olk]

Sitka 1915,wireless and coaling station

[juergen c. olk]

German port of Jaluit

[NickNascati]

Thanks all for the great photos and suggestions.

[General]

Some great ideas here...

[d phipps]

Some great ideas here...

Indeed! Thanks to everyone for sharing the amazing source material. 

And a big THANKS to Nick for coming up with this one. 

[Mad Lord Snapcase]

Very labour-intensive coaling in Calcutta.

[Vanvlak]

Malta:
This site shows loads of pics from HMS Kent (pics from 1910-1918):
http://www.worldnavalships.com/directory/shipinfo.php?ShipID=300
some taken in Malta, and two of them show coaling operations:

http://www.worldnavalships.com/ship_photo.php?ProdID=101794

http://www.worldnavalships.com/ship_photo.php?ProdID=101797

Lots of plank gangways involved. And what seem to be barges.

[Valerik]

Lots of plank gangways involved. And what seem to be barges.

Very labour-intensive coaling in Calcutta.

Found the description for those planks!!

Port Said

We took on coal at Port Said and this was an eye opener. Two large, long planks of wood stretched up from the coal dock to the ship's side where the bunkers were located, and then a huge crowd of natives appeared at the coal pile. Some of the men filled baskets with coal, others picked up filled baskets and lifted them on to yet other men's heads and these men ran up the planks, dumped the coal into the bunker, and pretty soon there was a continuous line going up one plank and down the other. In this manner we took on hundreds of tons of coal. I remember thinking, "this is how they built the pyramids."

John Garside, RN
DEMS Gunner SS Fort Crevier

AND, at yoyage's end, in reverse...

NOT for the squeamish...

Karachi


What a sight to see, the horse soldiers were met by others already stationed there and soon established a large corral just off the dock side. Gangways were again rigged and first the mules on deck were walked to the gangways. They needed no encouragement at all, down they went into the corral.

After ten weeks at sea they had gained their sea legs and now on solid ground they fell and tripped as they ran around bucking and kicking; they were so happy. After they had settled down a bit they were moved to a second enclosure and another batch were sent ashore. Eventually they were gone, soldiers and all, and we knew how Noah must have felt when he off loaded the Arc. What a mess and what a smell! The soldiers had shoveled what poop they could and hosed down the decks but our bilges were full of a substance about the consistency of porridge and we wondered how on earth the mess could be cleaned up. The next day we learned the terrible truth.

At about six a.m., trucks arrived with long planks similar to what we saw in Port Said when we took on coal. These were placed against the ships side, only this time they were steeper as the ship road higher in the water after the mules were gone. Similar planks were set up leading down into the holds. Then more trucks arrived carrying about two hundred young girls with a few older boys. What took place next was outrageous and most of us were horrified.

Overseers with whistles and whips organized these children into two groups, boys to fill and lift baskets onto the heads of the girls and girls to carry the baskets up the planks to our main deck, then down the planks to the shore side. As you can imagine the flimsy baskets were soon leaking their contents onto the heads, faces, shoulders of these poor kids and anyone showing signs of slowing down caught a taste of the whip. It wasn't long before these children were soaked in filth and were all crying. That was my introduction to the mysterious east.  

John Garside, RN
DEMS Gunner SS Fort Crevier

Valerik

NOT fond of coal at the best of times

EDIT:  found the 2nd description