i see that asphalt roofing was developed in 1901. I guess many models simulate cedar shake. I've been told slate roofs will last lifetime and take just as long to pay for.
so what would the roof material in the photo be
greg - Philadelphia & Reading / Reading
Fascinating subject for a model railroad.
The correct spelling is Mahanoy Plane, which was an incline railway associated with a coal mine that closed in 1932.
http://www.tnonline.com/2014/jul/11/mahanoy-plane-schuylkill-county-engineering-marvel
This site has links to Berks Co train stations, none of the ones that include the word Mahanoy look like your pic. I would say the womens dresses are much earlier than 1930 http://www.west2k.com/pastations/berks.shtml
Definitely not slate, which was used on the masonary station construction at the time. I don't think you'd go wrong with wood shakes.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
In the early years of this century, wooden shakes, tin, and rolled roofing were all used. Asphalt shingles came into use before the 1930's, but there was initially no variety in color. The AC&Y Historical Society had an article on the Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing Co. (3M) plant in Copley, Ohio, in the AC&YHS News, Vol. XVIII, number 1 (Spring - Summer 2013) by Bob Lucas. It is available to all on the AC&Y Historical Society's web site. What follows is largely quoted, with edits, from that article.
The new types of asphalt roofing with artificially colored roofing granules were created in 1930 by the 3M research laboratory. One virtue of the new "3M Colorquartz" asphalt roofing was that the color did not fade in the sun, although there were problems with this in the early years. Sales grew from $26,413 in 1932 to $657,402 in 1934. Green proved to be the most popular color.
So colored asphalt shingles, especially green, might also be appropriate for your 1930's time period.
Tom
I can't comment on what would have been most common in that area at that time, but it should be kept in mind that cedar shakes and cedar shingles are not the same thing. In my opinion, Campbell's paper roofing material represents cedar shingles rather than shakes. The roof surface in the photo doesn't appear to have much relief to it, and since, as mentioned, it looks that the photo was taken around the turn of the century, I'd guess it to be cedar shingles.
Here's a crossing guard's shanty, roofed with Campbell's shingles:
Wayne
Some roof types I've seen.
My inlaws lived in a farmhouse built in the early 1800's. It had a slate roof. A local roofer said he thought it was original to the house except where it had been repaired. The repairs were not the same type or color of slate of the original roof. ( came from a different quarry? )
The addition on the farm house was built in the 1920's and had a rolled tar paper roof. When this roof was replaced in the late 1960's with asphalt shingles, they found two layers of this rolled tar paper on the roof.
My grand parents lived in a house that was built in 1910. It had a copper roof. It was believed to be original to the house. Once copper gets its green patina, it is pretty much impervious to everything.
I'm sure there are other types too.
Does the Reading Railroad Historical Society ever publish reproductions of the standards books that most railroads issued? The Chicago & North Western Historical Society has published at least two volumes of such standards, so there are drawings and plans for everything from depots to welfare buildings to water tanks to rat traps. For what it is worth the C&NW generally used slate roofs on both wood and brick depots back in that era.
Dave Nelson
I agree with ACY, Tom's reply, about asphalt shingles gaining quick popularity in the 30's. As a home inspector, roofing is always a hot topic, so I have read different articles on types of roofing used through the years.
The asphalt shingles were easy and more flexible to install, and they were competing with a very popular type of the time, cement asbestos shingles. These looked like slate, and cost a lot less. CA shingles and siding could mimmick the look of wood and slate. A lot of roofs that look like slate are in fact cement asbestos.
Mike.
My You Tube