We take 40 gallon (and other) steel drums for granted… but it just occured to me… when and where did they first appear?
Anyone know what industry they started in?
Anyone know when the modern plastic (often blue) drums appeared and where? Does anyone make H0 models of these… I don’t recall seeing any…
TIA
[8D]
Definitely before World War 2. That is how the Caribean steel drum bands started with drums left behind by the military.
Calypso bands were using steel drums in the 1940s; I hope this helps!!!
Now that you have all stopped laughing and picked yourself up off of the floor I will continue with an answer with less levity.
The 42 gallon barrel - that is 40 imperial gallons I do believe - has been the standard for crude oil measurement since good ole’ John D. himself first specified its size for price determination way back in the 1860s - petroleum is still marketed as barrels and a barrel of oil is still 42 gallons. They were, of course, standard wooden-stave barrels in them thar days of yesteryear; I would imagine that steel barrels would date from the last decade or so of the nineteenth century when more and more products began to be fabricated from that material.
The first part of the novel I am not writing takes place in the years 1907-1910; the prime protagonist for that specified period - before he meets his untimely demise on the wrong end of a shotgun blast - takes delivery of the first motor car seen in them thar parts - the upper valley of the North Platte River. The local storekeep imports gasoline in 12 gallon steel drums - 12 gallons because that makes the drums about 100 lbs in weight which is a weight which the local roustabouts could handle during off-loading at the local team track; I encountered this information about twenty years ago in a book on rural life at the turn of the twentieth century so steel barrels/drums of certain capacities were at least in use by that period of time. With the advent of bulk petroleum transport I’m really not sure whether 42 gallon drums are still being made; I’m not really sure whether steel was ever used in their manufacture at least here in the good ol’ You Ess of Ay!.
Still working in a large manufacturing plant. Yes , steel drums are still in use , alot. All the hydraulic oils and lubricants we use here still come in standard steel barrels. But we do see alot of the newer plastic types , mostly with dry products.
I thought this was interesting: http://www.hammondindiana.com/20thcentury/time_capsule53.htm
Looks like this may have been the father of the 55 gallon drum we’ve come to know.
This is mildly interesting - apparently a lady reporter named Elizabeth Cochran (aka Nellie Bly) patented a proto 55gal steel barrel for petroleum product transport in 1905, and started a firm ‘Iron Clad’ to manfacturer them.
Here’s the wiki article, which back up the above info - too bad the company didn’t make it to WWI, she could have made a killing - but since she had come up with a usable 55g steel drum in 1905 that more or less resembles modern ones 100years later, there’s no question other manfacturers must used in the idea in WWI which placed enormous demands on transport and supply logistics, so that would be your answer.
I’m thinking the plastic ones realy started to come into use mid to late 1970’s as that’s the time that HDPE realy started being used industrialy ( but they were probably around before that for use with caustic chemicals ). Wiki states HDPE being used with Blow Molding techneques as early as the 1950’s.
FYI, I did locate an artical about RR tank cars as early as 1865 - they were wooden and were made in a way much like wooden barrels were: http://www.slate.com/id/2115219/
I’ve noticed that while several dozen manufacturers make steel drums there are none that make models of plastic drums or cardboard ones? Both look quite different from the steel ones.
I see somebody did the “plastic drums” image google too [:D]
Seems like a job for BMLI (JL Innovate seems to cover too early a period for fibre drums).
My plant uses tons of them as well, almost everything we receive comes in steel drums. Probably 99% of them are reused and believe it or not we pay a deposit on them as well. Just like beer bottles, you get your money back when you return it.
Has anyone noticed that one of the block advertisements below the initializing post has been for a company which makes - are y’all ready for this? - steel drums and barrels?
Some crazy topics show up for discussion here on the forum; this one has been extremely interesting and also informative, if I may say so. Thanks to all of you contributors; you have certainly added quality information to my knowledge of this subject.
Who’d a thunk it???
“60 barrel wooden tank cars” I wonder how many derailments there were especially in the beginning? Can you imagine the mess? I bet they it didn’t get cleaned up very often either especially in more remote areas.
Greg H., I clicked and then printed your dotcom info; I see that the info from my earliest response on this topic was incorrect but I presented it from info garnished many, many years ago and my memory does fail me on occasion
With this in mind I will therefore correct a statement from my earliest response; John D. did not standardize the 42 gallon measurement for petroleum but rather it - standardization - was introduced by the federal government for tax accounting purposes.
Isn’t it amazing!!! Some things just never change, do they??? You can’t even think of government without thinking of taxes!!!
Sorry, Bergie; just had to add a little political commentary onto the forum today.
I worked for a short time for a company in Chicago that reconditoned steel drums. They received box car loads of them daily, refurbished them (mostly with flames) and then repainted them. Most were shipped out in the empty box cars that came in loaded, and others by truck locally.
How’s that for a novel lineside industry?
Some oil companies used a “heavy drum”, charged a deposit. The distributor charged the ultimate user the deposit and credited him when it was returned. When a truck load of empties was accumulated they were shipped to the reconditioner as has been mentioned. A big gripe by the distributors was the number of drums the reconditioner rejected for one reason or another. Once shipped the distributor was helpless. Howerver, I’m sure Big Rusty’s company didn’t take advantage of this situation like two I know.
Another comment. Some companies used a light drum and sold the drum with the oil.
One last thought, Chevron started using some plastic drums in the late 1980’s or early 90’s but went back to the steel.
Just my rambling.
Bob
