What would oil have come in circa the 1880’s. Next on the list after the caboose is a standard box car except that it says oil only on it. It is the farthest right car. Like the 1st box car i made I want this one to have a working/sliding door. That means the load will be visible. Only I have no idea what the load would be. Was the standard steel 55 gallon drum around back then, did it come in wood barrels?
In that era it would have been wood barrels. Some railroads hauled oil in “tank” cars, a flat car with 2 wooden tanks built on the deck. Essentially the “tanks” were over-sized wooden barrels, end up.
Thanks David,
I took a different route in my internet search and came up with the same conclusion. In the 1870’s it became standardized as a 42 gallon barrel (still the unit of measure for oil today even though as a container it is no longer used) even thought the 40 gallon whiskey barrel was commonly used before that. At any rate a whiskey barrel will be just fine.
Yep, the first steel barrels weren’t introduced until 1902, and the earliest version of the steel drum was patented in 1905.
Since you’ve done your research you’ve probably already seen these, but for anyone else who might be interested, here’s some history on the subject of oil barrels and oil drums:
http://aoghs.org/transportation/history-of-the-42-gallon-oil-barrel/
LOL,
No Ray I didn’t make it past the history of the unit of measure known as a barrel. Thanks for the links though i will read them simply because history is awesome whatever the subject matter.
Both stories were interesting but the Steel barrel was interesting in that a female journalist is given credit. She is pretty easy on the eyes also.
This pic is labeled; Grease.
John
Early oil tank car.
John,
That’s about perfect. Would have to have a liquid tight lid instead of canvas but other than that that picture is perfect for me to model from.
Steve,
I might have to keep one of those in mind. Maybe a single barrel version for the indoor micro. But definitely would be a fun car to build.
Notice how 4 barrels just fit across the car, a full car shouldn’t take much bracing to secure the load.
I think oil has spigots, but grease needs a scoop.
Too heavy to stack.
2 tanks located over trucks on your car.
John
Devon Sinsley said:
Both stories were interesting but the Steel barrel was interesting in that a female journalist is given credit. She is pretty easy on the eyes also.
Yeah, Nellie Bly was a very interesting gal. She must have had a lot of courage to go undercover as an inmate at a 19th century insane asylum! And you’re right, she’s a looker too. 
John Caughey said:
Notice how 4 barrels just fit across the car, a full car shouldn’t take much bracing to secure the load.
I think oil has spigots, but grease needs a scoop.
Too heavy to stack.
2 tanks located over trucks on your car.
John
Good catch on the barrel width. I will likely turn a master and then mold them so make them fit my current car design.
No problem buddy, on liquid barrels there’s usually a bung on the side for a spigot. Laid down the curve of the barrel gives enough slope for a good draining of contents. Oil might have a different location…
Here’s some more thoughts for ya;
These were taken in California…
John
Those rope slings are very simple. It’s a loop of rope, through eyelets on hooks and through a sleeve over barrel. The weight of the load pulls the hooks tight.
Set down the hooks release.
John
Wonder where the bungs are? In every picture I don’t see them. Is this something that could have been drilled and taped in onceit arrived at its destination. And that rope sling is a definite must at the yard.
the bungs were set from inside out.
as i learned in professional school, beer barrels had the bung inside the barrel in a piece of fine cloth, while being filled. once the barrel was full they drew on the cloth, thus placing the conic bung in the hole.
to open a barrel, the bung was not taken out, but droven into the barrel.
and at placing the barrels, they took care, that the bungs were not placed in direction of the next barrel, but facing the hollow spaces between barrels.
edit: and i suppose, what was good for beer, was good for other liquids too.
That makes sense to me other than all of the above barrels do not seem to have any hole anywhere.
last pic - the barrel at the left.
Where’s that bung???
They don’t always hide 'em.
Devon,
Here are 2 variants of early oil cars.
When possible the weight of loads is over the trucks.
Not every train used boxcars…
Thanks for the topic … I enjoy the Internet searches.
John
And to think that gasoline was once considered a waste product to be burned (burnt?) off, in the production of kerosene. Shake my head.