# Fire Barrel spacing?



## jimhoot (Mar 21, 2015)

We leveled the raised area of our track today.
I will have over 40' of trestle to build.
I have most of it designed already but was wondering about fire barrels? 
How far apart would / do you place fire barrels when building your trestle? 

Thank You for any ideas.
Jim


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

I'd guess no more than a hundred scale feet apart. You dipped your bucket and ran to the fire. Track walkers were common 100 years ago
The buckets were more for smoldering embers than a roaring fire. Although if you could do it with a barrel, more power to you.
John


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

The buckets for carrying the water to a fire near the barrel were supplied along side of the barrel. But these buckets were in the shape of an inverted cone (pointed on the bottom!). If they were like normal buckets, people would take them for use on the farm/ranch... a pointed bottom to the bucket meant it could not be set down without the contents spilling out, so they were not very useful for anything but dipping into a water barrel, then carried to and emptied at the place where the water was needed; like fighting a nearby small fire.


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## jimtyp (Jan 2, 2008)

Jim, I wanted to add fire barrels to my trestle last year so did some research. Found that different railroads had different rules. However, every 150 - 200 ft seemed most common. 

Union Pacific, Adopted October 11, 1905 and revised January 31, 1928 titled "COMMON STANDARD PLATFORM FOR WATER BARRELS ON PILE AND FRAME TRESTLE BRIDGES":

"...to have one water barrel set in bank at each end of bridge and one water barrel at the center of bridge, and for each additional 200 ft. add one water barrel, all symmetrically located in regard to the over-all length of bridge." 

So, for example, a 400 ft trestle(1:1) would have 3 barrels. I found that many railroads started the first barrel at the 50 ft mark from each end of the trestle. So starting at one end, a barrel at 50', the next at 200' (so 150' spance), the 3rd one at 350 ' mark (another 150' spance, but 50' from the end of the 400' trestle/bridge). The longest spance between barrels would be 150 - 200 ft, but could be less as the barrels should be centered based on the total length of the trestle.

Another question I researched was, what was in the barrels. I found that some had water, some had sand.

-Jim


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## jimhoot (Mar 21, 2015)

Thank You Gentlemen.
I'm not in to history on rail roads but I am trying to build ours so it looks correct.
It's things like this history lesson that I do enjoy though.
Thank You ALL again.
I may get started on the Trestle's tomorrow evening if we don't decide to change one more thing.


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## jimtyp (Jan 2, 2008)

Jim, a pic of one of my trestles with two fire barrels: http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/jimtyp/IMG_20150602_091331.jpg

The trestle was short enough that one barrel to the next was less that 150', so I only needed two. I have not had time yet to spike rail on the trestle, so just laid track on it for now. But the track moves a bit on the trestles. On one trestle my K-27 took out part of the fire barrel 2x4 supports, as the track expanded a bit too close to the barrel on a hot day. I'm just going to leave it, looks like the real deal 

-Jim


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## jimhoot (Mar 21, 2015)

Very nice.
I am itching to get started making my bent's but I need a new band saw blade before cutting any lumber.
Thank You again for the help.


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

Mine have working lanterns on them. Looks really cool when they shine on a passing train at night.


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