Rubber Hoses

[wainwright1]

I have a pre-grouping layout and have been upgrading the cattle dock area. I was wondering when the traditional rubber hose was introduced, whether it was in use during this period, or would the operatives still be using buckets of water to wash down the docks after use.

 

All the best

Ray

[Steamport Southport]

1 hour ago, wainwright1 said:

I have a pre-grouping layout and have been upgrading the cattle dock area. I was wondering when the traditional rubber hose was introduced, whether it was in use during this period, or would the operatives still be using buckets of water to wash down the docks after use.

 

All the best

Ray

 

 

It's talking about firehoses, but I would expect them to be readily available by the 19th century.

 

https://www.intellectualventures.com/buzz/insights/ivs-favorite-inventions-fire-nozzles

 

Garden hoses seem commonplace about 1860s.

 

https://www.alamy.com/india-rubber-garden-hose-advertisement-circa-1860-image6094025.html

 

https://thegardenstrust.blog/2019/07/13/the-history-of-hosepipe/

 

 

 

Jason

[KingEdwardII]

8 hours ago, wainwright1 said:

I was wondering when the traditional rubber hose was introduced,

Well, your question intrigued me and after a little searching, I came across this, which appears to have been written in 1890 and interestingly relates to railway practices (in Scotland):

 

https://www.electricscotland.com/history/transport/railways3.htm

 

And towards the end of that page it says:

 

"Arrived at the cattle dock, the animals were walked out of their trucks almost as easily and quickly as a train-load of passengers, and off into the covered yards of the different salesmen. Hardly arc they out of the trucks, when men with great jets of water from a fire-hose set to work to wash out the trucks, and to cover the floor with layers of fresh sawdust,..."

 

So I think they were canny enough to realize that jets of water from a hose were a quicker way to clean up after the cattle! It certainly shows that things were done this way pre-grouping.

 

Amazing what you can find via the internet!

 

Yours,  Mike.

[wainwright1]

Many thanks

Ray