Hey All,
For some of you more experienced folks out there…any idea what color fire barrels on bridges would be (unweathered)… Specifically I am interested in MR, UP and GN…
Also, there was water in them, right?..
Thanks in advance for any help…
Brian
Natural, Oak takes a long time to rot.
Fergie
I don’t know where, but I have seen photos with the barrels painted red. I doubt that this was any kind of a standard though.
Tom
This is the Sutherland Steam Mill outside Tatamagouche, NS. It is along the old Inter-Colonial Railway.
Fergie
Interesting…the fire barrels I have look like metal drums/barrels not wooden…interesting thought though…
Brian
Has anyone ever run into conical railroad fire buckets that come to a point at the bottom? Last week I was in an antique store in Columbia TN. and noticed one for sale. Being a retired fire protection engineer I became interested but I did not quite follow the owners explanation. ( Something about swinging them and not being able to put them down). My friend and I ( Who teaches fire science) came up with two other explanations ( They are cheaper to manufacture or they are not a target for theft).
When I Googled the topic someone else in Florida had the same question about an ACL RR bucket he had purchased and the answer came up that they are not subject to theft.
Any there any other thoughts? I have modeled a lot of different early fire equipment for my 1900’s logging RR including early sprinkler and post indicator valves but never came across of this type of bucket. ( It was painted red)
Peter Smith, Memphis
The only colour of fire barrels we ever saw were rust, and plenty of that, and this was on 4 trestles of both CN and CPR. By the way, they sure were handy when the train caught us on the middle of the trestle. Never did see a painted barrel.
Thanks, Tatans… that must have been scary being on fire on a bridge…especially if on some of those huge bridges on CN or CPR line’s in West Canada!!! YIKES!
Brian