A Though they varied in size and design, all railroad sand houses had the same basic three parts: an open bin for receiving sand; an enclosed drying house; and an elevated bin for storing dry sand. Most commercially available sand house models, like those made by Walthers, Campbell, B.T.S., and JV Models, depict a fairly small structure with an open bin and a small cylindrical tank for dry sand. Sand for these facilities would be delivered in a gondola parked alongside the bin, then shoveled in by hand. Being a busy engine terminal, though, San Bernardino needed much more sand than could be supplied by these means. The structure in the photo above received sand in drop-bottom gondolas or hoppers that were shoved up a ramp to dump directly into the bin.
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