Welcome

This blog presents my thoughts, information and activities in my model railroading world.

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Modern brick company

About 12 years ago I toured Glen Gery Brick company in Pennsylvania with the Railroad Industry SIG.  It is a very modern brick company and they gave us a very nice tour.  They are on of the largest brick companies in the US started in 1890.   You can find their web site at
http://www.glengerybrick.com/about/history.html

The photo below shows the clay extrusion being cut into bricks by the rotating wire assembly.  Center bricks move to the right.


Below is the clay mixing area.  Reject hardened bricks are crushed and used as "grog" in the new mix.


Below shows brick product on an in-plant rail car.


Cart loads of brick in the baking track.  Heating pipes in the rear.


Below you see the brick baking ovens.



1 comment:

Jim Musser said...

I've been enjoying your blog quite a bit Stan. Next to steel, brick making and clay mining is one of my big interests, although I haven't spent much time on it recently. I've gotten close to modeling this industry over the years but never actually built anything, so I look forward to seeing your completed brickyard. There is a bit of a tie in to the steel industry anyway as many brick manufacturers were engaged in refractory production. In fact just this weekend I found a new link - I was reading the newer Bethlehem Steel book and found their initial coke oven batteries were built by a German firm, Didier-March. I've had for years several photographs of a narrow gauge Porter hauling fire clay at the "Didier-March" pits in Woodbridge, NJ. Explains this companies presence in the very concentrated fire clay areas around Perth Amboy, NJ.
I look forward to more of your modeling.