Gas storage tank....

Dave,

This is called a gas holder. It stored natural gas in gas form. Today these tanks are replaced by tanks storing natural gas under pressure (LNG). I have built a number of these and would provide a price to you if you send me an e-mail and let me know the dimensions of what you want. The largest one I have constructed was about 9 inches across and 15 inches high for o-scale.

Alan Graziano

Dave:

Before the wide availability of natural gas a city would make its own 'coal gas'.

The gas was manufactured from coke in big furnaces called coke retorts then piped into in a dedicated building called a gas plant for cooling and cleaning (Walthers makes an HO scale version called Empire Gas) then pumped into the gas holder and stored for delivery to street mains mostly for gas lamps at that period in time. The gas holder was a telescoping tank. The one in the picture has three sections. As the tank filled with gas each section in turn would raise until completely full. The superstructure you see on the exterior is a support structure for the tank sections as they were raised or lowered.

Both the gas plant and gas holder are shown below (Walthers)

Thanks Joe.......I remember these tanks, see them in 50's movies, but did not know the exact name. I thought one on my layout would set the time frame. Too bad we don't have a nice kit for one. I will end up scratchbuilding one. Thanks for the info! 

Gasometer tanks are quite large.  There were a pair in Elmhurst, NY (queens) and another set near the Hellgate bridge that were 7+ stories tall and 200-300 feet in diameter.  These didn't "telescope".  The tank actually had a circular trench with a liquid seal to keep the gas in and air out.  The tank would rise as gas was pumped in and would fall as it was used.  The tanks were originally used for storage/distribution but were changed over to pressure regulator devices much like water towers are used.  You can see the "pits" for the ones off the East River on Google Earth.

Thanks Chuck. I have been looking at them and think I may be able to laser cut the basic support system and detail it with plastic shapes. I doubt I'll make a full scale version or 100% true to prototype but something that would pass for one would be nice.

Chuck,

The Elmhurst Tanks were used by radio stations as a landmark for traffic jams on th BQE. I did some tank inspection work at that gas plant. They would make natural gas from Naptha that they stored in the tanks next to the gas holders. Naptha is a light cut from crude oil that is basically raw gasoline prior to blending.

I have made probably 10 to 12 of these tanks ranging from 6 to 9 inches in diameter. That is nowhere near the size of one of these tanks. I have seen some that were less than 5o feet in diameter in chemical plants. They are fun to construct.

Alan Graziano