So I purchased a set of Walthers Steel Drums (barrels). As I was researching which colors I should paint them, it occured to me that most drums I have seem on model railroads have a color band in the middle segment, while those I see in real life (or in modern photos) are always solid colors, with or without labels/stenciling (this extends back to the 1980s at least, as 1986’s ‘Naked Gun’ had a scene with OJ Simpson hiding behind solid colored drums on a dock [:D] - also, come to think of it when I did worked in a warehouse during the mid 1980s all drums we received were solid colored).
Was there a era when most drums did in fact have such colored bands (perhaps from the ‘Golden Age’ of railroading in the 1920s till the ‘Silver Age’ railroading of the 1950s?) and these bands subsequently disappeared (like lots of things) in the 1970s, or is this kind of a modeling-myth?
When I worked in a plant that recieved various oils in drums, the drums were painted colors. The oil we used in the hydraulic systems came in a gray drum with a green band. This was in the fall of 1977.
Dave H.
I like the sound of steel drums. They’re kinda like banjos: Hard to play a sad song on.
Tom
I worked in a chemical plant from 1986 to 1995.All of our steel drums were painted solid colors.
At first I thought this was in my area of expertise…but I guess not.
Living in an agricultural area I really don’t see too many barrels, but of the model ones I have seen like chutton01 are all striped.
Something to keep in mind. Steel drums, (real), “age” quickly. One would do well to avoid pristine appearing examples, for the most part… IMHO
I work in printing, the oil drums are gray,sometimes red,alcohol and press wash drums are black. Sometimes oil drums are green and white,white in the middle.It really doesn,t matter, some oil companies use different colors, striped and solid. mix them up, old ones rust easy, so stacked up emptys are usually beat up, newer fresh stock will look clean.
Does anyone know when steel drums first came into common use?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drum_(container)
“Todays’ 55 gallon drum resulted from military shipping requirements and specifications circa World War I, the first modern war where trucks, cold rolled steel, stamp or pattern forging machinery and welding were widely available making mass produced standardized shipping containers feasible. The 55 gallon drum will fit handily four to a fork truck standard wooden shipping pallet and so greatly ease material handling and rapid shipping. The drums size, shape, and weight distribution lends itself readily to being moved about readily on the loading dock or factory floor with a two wheeled Hand Truck.”
Looks like WWI.[:D]
I saw that too…, as I was doing research into steel drums for painting (as I said above - note, when googling steel drums, remember to remove terms band, pan, and music - it quickly becomes quite clear what most sites involving steel drums are about).
Wiki, while usually very cool (I’ve edited an article here and there on it) sometimes gets it’s info wrong (since, well, it some guy/girl adding info on the fly, and perhaps no-one else knows better). I was hoping to get some info as to if the steel drum as we know it was around in the 1920s (when forklifts started to appear) or was a product of WWII (when pallets pretty much came into their own), alas beside wiki I couldn’t find any mention of pre WWII steel drums.
Well, I guess from the responses it seems some drums have colored bands, but in general most modern-era drums are solid colored - so be it.
The colors on steel drums indicate the company of origin of the contents, ie, who owned the drum initially. There was one article, possibly two, that I remember reading. If I can find it, I’ll post it here.
There were many instances in which the middle part of the drum was painted a contrasting color. Similarly, tthe metal lids were sometimes a contrasting color, as well.
Depends on the manufacturer, and sometimes the contents.
-Ed
I work in a chemical factory, we make seat cushions. All of our drums come painted in solid colours and all have Stickers on them saying whats in them. All our emptys are labeled empty. I think its the law that anything transported in a drum must have a sticker on it saying what is in it.
Just found this again…
Two things to look at on drums…
Any drum with a hazardous chemical in it will have at least one warning diamond pasted on it. (Anyone know when these were introduced)?
I think that I’ve seen a sheet of these in Walthers catalogue.
Many drums have information stencilled on them. This is usually black or white. It comes in all sizes and many degrees of clarity.
3rd thing… some drums have company logos, even a company colour scheme. Shell, Texaco etc are good examples.
4th (of 2!)… one of the places I work… the incoming drums are segrgregated both by type and to where they are going on site… EMPTY drums are also segregated… those going back where they came, those being recycled, those being scrapped.
All get segregated by hazardous and non h… At a modern factory haz drums are put in compounds with bunds (retaining walls)… some are fenced off.
5th. some drums contain powders/pellets.
Some types of drum always get guck spilt on them others never.
Drums may be stacked end on or on their sides (with something to stop them rolling away). May also be on pallets or racks.
Some fork lifts have barrel handling grabs.
Have fun!
The warning diamonds refered above began apearing in the late '50s early '60s