Getting Real Column - 5
The all-but-universal walkway across the tops of tanks was for
maintenance access. These walks varied considerably and were
obviously designed to suit the particular arrangement of tank-
age. Piping between tanks, and connecting to pumps and inlet
and discharge facilities, might be entirely underground, partly
underground, or entirely above ground. Looking at a wide vari-
ety of photos, I would say they show all combinations, so the
modeler can choose how much piping to include. Even at large
oil refineries, as I have often seen in northern California, there
is visible piping to some tanks and none to others.
The liquids being
unloaded required only a
hose and a fitting which
could attach to the bot-
tom outlet of a tank car
(7). This is, of course,
quite easy to model.
But pumping would be
needed to get the prod-
uct into a tank, often well
above track level, so a
small pump house is a
typical part of these bulk
oil facilities. Usually the
pump house is well away
from other structures.
An important and vis-
ible part of one of these
dealerships was a ware-
house, where the plant
office could be located,
7: I Tank car unloading hoses
at Standard Oil’s plant in
Bayway, New Jersey. The plat-
form above is for car loading.
–Standard Oil Company photo,
Rob Evans collection.
7
MRH-Mar 2013
