An apparatus (100) operative for purposes of detecting the presence of a coal rope within a coal delivery pipe (200) is provided. The apparatus (100) includes a rod (105) that is operative to flex when struck by a coal rope that is present inside the coal delivery pipe (200), a strain gauge (115) that is operative to produce an electrical signal based upon the amount of flexing that the rod (105) is subjected to when struck by a coal rope that is present in the coal delivery pipe (200), and a processor that is operative to determine based upon the electrical signal that is received thereby from the strain gauge (115) at least one of either the location of the coal rope within the coal delivery pipe (200) or the density of the coal rope within the coal delivery pipe (200).