Parker L, did I do good?
I keep seeing buildings that might look good in my layout but I stop because they have metal corregated roofs. When did they come into use?
I guess my title wasn’t snappy enough.
Another question: Would a 0-4-0 found use as a yard goat. I’ve seen them on Have Gun Will Travel as small passenger trains.
Question #1: Beats the heck out of me. The NEB&W website, usually a great reference for this sort of question, doesn’t have a date at ALL for the introduction of tin roofs or corrugated metal roofing (they say corrugated roofing material first shows up in the Sears catalog in 1908). I would ASSUME that the process of rolling large sheets of tin roofing shows up around the Civil War, and would be OK for the mid-1880s. Copper roofing, of course, is pre-Roman.
Question #2: 0-4-0s would definitely be used as yard switchers around the 1880s, and would probably be THE yard switcher of choice. I’ve got photos of Chicago & Alton, Illinois Central, Nickel Plate, and Peoria & Pekin Union 0-4-0s, all of which were switchers in the 1890s.
Well, it was used in the mid-1800s in Britian in a big way:
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QUOTE: The facts of its history are rather different. Corrugated iron was invented and patented in Britain as early as the 1820s and was the first mass-produced cladding material of the modern building industry. By 1850 it was being used with iron and timber frames for prefabricated buildings manufactured here and exported all over the world. It was a technological breakthrough. The corrugations give strength and considerable structural advantages over flat sheeting, even allowing it to be built in a curved profile as a self-supporting barrel roof to cover relatively large areas. So it is that the same material cladding the humblest woodshed on a remote Devon smallholding was taken up by kings, princes and governors: as early as 1843 in Africa King Eyambo of Calabar chose corrugated from a Liverpool firm to clad his sumptuous new iron palace for himself and his 320 wives. It was subsequently to be employed in cathedrals, churches and chapels; dockyards, barracks and warehouses; town halls, offices and shops; villas and cottages, sheds and shelters throughout the remotest parts of Empire and to the uttermost parts of the earth.
It soon became a familiar feature of the British landscape. In 1861 J B Denton wrote in the Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society of England ‘On the comparative cheapness and advantages of iron and wood in the construction of roofs of farm buildings’. It was especially useful for roofing some of the large Victorian farming enterprises that were even then known as factory farms. They must have seemed strange newcomers: the spectacular example at Eastwood Manor Farm, East Harptree in Somerset completed in 1858 looks like a railway terminus absent-mindedly erected in the middle of the Mendips from which a steam train might emerge at any moment. On the more traditional farm pre-fabricated buildings became increasingly popular as manufacturers’ catalogues offered corrugated iron dairies, stables, la
Indeed, corrugated metal roofing fits just fine into an1880’s layout.
And 0-4-0 steam engines were almost EXCLUSIVELY yard goats, or small industrial engines used for things like logging, or other activities that required a small engine that didn’t need to go fast. They generally weren’t used for passenger trains, but TV shows have never been much for accuracy of railroad equipment.
I suppose it could happen, but generally something with front pilots (an American 4-4-0 or 4-6-0 Ten-Wheeler) would be found in passenger service. They handle higher speeds and curves better. Which isn’t to say that you COULDN’T use an 0-4-0 for passengers–but your 4-4-0 would be a better choice.
MOST steam downgraded to Yard duty had their pilot and trailing trucks removed due to turntable clearances or the non necessity from speeds used - hence 4-4-0’s became 0-4-0’s . 2-6-0’s became 0-6-0’s, etc.
“Cow catchers” were also removed and foot boards employed,
There is a wealth of information at http://www.cr.nps.gov/hps/tps/
That is the website for Heritage Preservation Services - Technical Preservation Services for Historic Buildings - Part of the National Park Service.
There is a whole section on “roofing for historic buildings”, and I’m sure you’ll find the answer there.
Chip,
What channel has “Have Gun Will Travel” on? I haven’t seen Palladin in over 30 years!
Mark C.
I got the complete first season on DVD for Christmas. I think it is $37 for 25-30 episodes.
Well it was snappy enough to get Bergie’s attention, because this topic made the weekly newsletter. Congrats! [swg]
After earlier research on the same topic, I had determined that corrugated iron didn’t come into widespread use in the U.S. until shortly before the Great War. After reading this thread I went back for more information, and found that the material seems to have been in use far longer. Visit this site: http://www.bobhumm.com/history.html , and select “The Making of America” for a list of articles, all from the 19th century, pertaining to the use of corrugated metal.
Best regards, W.J.Long.
I have pictures of buildings from very early in the 20th century that had metal roofs. I couldn’t tell you when this started but a “Google” search might get you an answer.
I wrote that after the topic had sat for a while with 0 views.
This is great lunchtime topic for me…longdaze is probably most correct in terms of when corregated sheet steel came into use, however corregated roofs did come in many materials before WW1 including copper, zinc and combinations such as tin or terne metal and sheet steel. Today we have galvanized sheet steel, aluminum and even; fiberglass. ( I’ve learned alot from the other posts about the history of a common material I deal with in construction).
Remember, It’s the fini***hat makes corregated panels so interesting whether they are used as roofing or as siding. It depends on what era you’re modeling…sheet metal or corregated metal was more popular in the southwest US because of the dry climate. It began to be used in the eastern US and south after galvanizing was developed and widely understood.
Before the advent of galvznizing (either field applied or factory applied), the panels were painted or just rusted and were replaced. Today, most light weight metal buildings are sided and roofed with factory coated sheet steel. The finish always dulls-out after about 6 months.
Moisture always collects on the bottom of the panels where the resultant rust occurs. It’s pretty easy (& fun) to paint and weather styrene ‘corrigated’ sheets.
HTH…Back to work…
Mark
Here in California, my dad, a carpenter, built our 2 car garage plus shop and used shiny corrugated metal (aluminum?) for roofing in 1948. It is still standing and in use. Same roof. As info., during a rainstorm the roof makes a roaring sound if you are inside it at the time. Did I build a model RR there? No, had to use the vacant chicken house - after a very thorough cleaning.
Please give me a call about corrugated metal roofs. Campbell Scale Models has included the material in their kits for the past 40 years and it is easy to do and looks great. George Sellios and most of the Craftsman Kits include our corrugated metal or shingles in their kits. My telephone is 541 664-9296 or home 541 664-2511. Thanks Duncan Campbell