Help with gluing lose materials (Coal in a tender)

[Roger J]

Not strictly ship building but i am building a model of the rocket and the coal is provided lose can anyone suggest the best way to glue it in place
I have tried stirring it round in black paint and pouring it in the tender with no success so any ideas would be appreciated

 

[Zzyzx01]

You might try using "ballast glue". This is a mixture of white PVA glue and water (50/50 ratio) and a few drops of Isopropyl Alcohol. Model railroaders use it for securing the ballast (rock) to the layout under the track. I used it for a portion of a diorama. Worked okay.
Here's the recipe:

The best recipe for ballast glue

What is the best glue for model railway ballast? Find the answer here.

modelrailwayengineer.com

...henry