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Wooden Tank Car .. built 1964! ( for vinegar of course)

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Posted by Miningman on Sunday, February 24, 2019 8:23 PM

The Heinz Electric sign in The Big Apple 

Scroll to the bottom to be AMAZED. 

 

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Posted by Miningman on Sunday, February 24, 2019 9:18 AM

Check out those rail cars! Scroll down. Thanks to Mike for this. 

https://archive.org/details/hjheinzcompanypr00hjhe/page/n5

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
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Posted by MidlandMike on Saturday, February 23, 2019 8:59 PM

A few of our older oil wells had wooden "pickle barrel" tanks, usually for salt water.  They generally had a float valve to keep the fluid levels constant, as drying out would cause the staves to shrink and leak.  Sometimes some one tried to move and reuse a tank, but moving usually seemed to brake the seal between staves, and the tanks never seemed to hold water tightly again.  I can see why the rail tanks were short lived, with all the banging they undergo.

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Posted by Miningman on Saturday, February 23, 2019 4:52 PM

The 1964 Vinegar car has been 'preserved' ( ha-ha) at the John Street Roundhouse in Toronto along with CNR Northern 6213, and other equipment. Got to love a happy ending! 

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Posted by tarheeltracks on Saturday, February 23, 2019 3:13 PM

Standard Brands Industries was in the vinegar bottling and sales business. One of their subsidiaries ( Fleishmen Transportation Company) built vinegar tank cars in 1950 out of cypress and fir. The tank cars were painted silver to reflect sunlight to help keep the vinegar cool. The tankers had a relatively short track life.

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Posted by Miningman on Friday, February 22, 2019 11:35 PM

Now that's good parenting! 

There used to be, maybe still are, several wooden vinegar cars from various companies in the USA. Heinz comes to mind. 

Wonder if they are still around/used at all? 

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Posted by Overmod on Friday, February 22, 2019 11:19 PM

Miningman
Not sure if it was a thing in the States but I do know it's difficult to get vinegar at your table stateside ... Most Canucks put vinegar on their fries ... pass the malt vinegar in a glass vinegar bottle.

You'll be right at home ordering a large solo fry, Cajun on the side, at any Five Guys restaurant stateside.  Not only are the fries spectacular, they have multiple glass bottles of malt vinegar at the ready for you. 

I have taught my once-baby daughter to enjoy the unique tang of malt vinegar.  I consider it a part of responsible parenting.

Oh, and I think the principal reason for the wooden tank is to avoid putting any strange changes into the vinegar.  Or perhaps even to mellow it.  Good drinking vinegar is different from, say, glacial acetic acid in the sense that even small changes may be dramatically noted, and disapproved of.

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Posted by Miningman on Friday, February 22, 2019 10:39 PM

Yes very good, that is why. Sometimes the old ways are best because it was right!

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Friday, February 22, 2019 9:54 PM

Maybe not too amazing.  Probably cheaper to build a tank car for vinegar out of wood than to build one of steel and then go through the expense of a corrosion-proof liner.  Considering the acid content in vinegar it'd probably play hell with steel, to say nothing of all that rust ending up in the vinegar.

Although a little extra iron intake probably wouldn't do anyone any harm. Might even be beneficial!

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Posted by Miningman on Friday, February 22, 2019 9:35 PM

Well it's still rather amazing that a wooden tank car was built as late as 1964. I wonder if there has been any since. 

We do have some car experts on the Forum.

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Friday, February 22, 2019 8:43 PM

Dammit I'm getting old or something, I've got a head like a sieve!

I DID have cod fish n' chips in Newfoundland as well, at the attached restaurant to the Harold Hotel in Placentia.  Fresh stuff right out of the water, couldn't be beat!  Lady Firestorm had the lobster, she loves those "bugs"!  Lobster was listed on the menu, but you had to ask, it was offered if it was available.  She asked, she got!  The other diners noticed,  "LOOK!  She has LOBSTER!"  

"All you have to do is ask!"  she said with a smile.

I had cod tongues in another place, a local delicacy.  Good stuff!  

The Newfie natives only want fresh cod, the salted stuff was only for export, they won't go near salt cod if they can avoid it. 

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Posted by Miningman on Friday, February 22, 2019 7:46 PM

Our Health Unit runs a very nice little daily fixed menu restaurant at our hospital. Fridays they serve cod for the fish and chips. Of course you pronounce it Caaaaaaaaad, as they do in Newfoundland. 

Halibut is a bit pricey and is flakey, very white and mild with no fishy taste or smell. Haddock is less expensive and does much the same. Just not quite as flakey. Cod has its own taste, but I like it just fine. 

Best Caaaaaad I ever had was onboard the Lief Erickson car ferry Cape Breton to 'The Rock' ( Newfoundland) 

Sing along... " take me home Lief Erickson take me home.........."

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Friday, February 22, 2019 7:30 PM

Halibut?  Yum!  Haddock?  More yum!  Ever try it with cod?  I had cod fish n' chips in a place in Portsmouth, UK after visiting HMS Victory and paying my respects to Lord Nelson.

Good stuff!  And the waitress was cute too!  She was surprised I knew what the vinegar was for, but then, me mother's Irish!

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Posted by Miningman on Friday, February 22, 2019 7:18 PM

Malt vinegar is best and really the only, on fish and chips, but regular vinegar will do. It's a big deal up here, or at least it was, to have fish and chips on Friday night, especially for Catholics, because no meat on Fridays. It has diminished over the years but fish and chips remains popular. Not many independent fish and chips shops around any longer, whereas once there were many. 

Not sure if it was a thing in the States but I do know it's difficult to get vinegar at your table stateside. All the fast food joints, McDonalds, Burger King, KFC, Wendy's and so on have vinegar in packets and wouldn't dream of not having them en masse at their restaurants. Not so in the Staes.  Most Canucks put vinegar on their fries. 

Battered Halibut or Haddock, deep fried to crunchy batter with hot fries where the salt just bounces is da bomb ... pass the malt vinegar in a glass vinegar bottle. Ketchup and Tarter not required thankyou. 

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Posted by tarheeltracks on Friday, February 22, 2019 5:32 PM

Flintlock thanks for that info. Me and the granddaughter had fish and chips today... fish sticks and tater tots but no hush puppies!! Dinner

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Friday, February 22, 2019 1:55 PM

Kind of like a wooden boat.  There may be caulking between the wood strakes.  After that, you get it wet and keep it wet, when the wood absorbs the water it'll swell and seal the gaps.

If the tank builders were good at their craft there were no worries afterwards.

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Posted by tarheeltracks on Friday, February 22, 2019 1:00 PM

How do they get a wooden tanker that size to seal ??

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Posted by Miningman on Friday, February 22, 2019 10:50 AM

Especially on a Friday. 

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Friday, February 22, 2019 9:56 AM

Ah, fish 'n chips!  Me mouth's waterin' even as we speak!  Dinner

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Wooden Tank Car .. built 1964! ( for vinegar of course)
Posted by Miningman on Thursday, February 21, 2019 10:33 PM

Reinhart Vinegars Ltd. 
Stayner, ON

RVLX 101 newer (4/1964) wood tank on old (9/1943) frame. 7,020 gallons. capy. 70,200 lbs. 48,500 light weight. 
One and only. Al Howlett

Well the frame is older but the tank was built new in 1964..

Fish and Chips anyone? 

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