hi guys!
thanks for all your thoughts!
Basically I am looking to acquire barrels that are a scaled up version of the Lionel Standard Gauge barrels of that era. Maybe about 25% bigger. So they serve as a prototype.
I am interested in good quality or I would have at it myself.
I can provide photos/dimensions. Looking for a minimum of 6; max of 18.
Why am I doing this? I recreated wooden gondolas from the 1902 Lionel 2 7/8 era. I have pretty much gotten all the details down. But they originally came with wooden barrels. I have one photo to go by that allows me to estimate the dimensions.
I have looked for commercially made barrels with no luck. The work is took un-original for most wood turners - no real creativity involved.
Every so often I get geared up and take another shot at it. Thanks to your suggestions I have emailed a couple of wood turners in hopes of getting lucky. Money is money and it pays the bills,
So, as Paul Harvey used to say, now you know the rest
of the story! 
thanks!
john
