Re: (erielack) "Spanish" or "Mission" style tile roofs of the DL&W

["Schuyler G Larrabee" <sgl2_@_ix.netcom.com>]

Why Green?  Because somebody liked it better than the alternatives . . .

Why glazed and not left "natural?"  Because the glazing makes the water and
ice and snow shed off much better and makes the tiles last years and years
instead of months and months . . .

Witness the one you held in your hands.

If unglazed tiles are not "frostproof" as it's called, (and there are VERY
few that are TRULY "frostproof") then they absorb water and freezing pops
them apart from inside the tile.

SGL
- ----- Original Message -----
From: "Tupaczewski, Paul R (Paul)" <paultup_@_lucent.com>
To: "'James Harr'" <bnchmark_@_eclipse.net>; "ErieLack Digest"
<erielack-digest_@_lists.railfan.net>
Cc: <Pat_McKnight_@_nps.gov>
Sent: Friday, April 11, 2003 9:12 AM
Subject: RE: (erielack) "Spanish" or "Mission" style tile roofs of the DL&W


> Jim Harr wrote:
>
> > The main point of interest, aside from the fact that it was
> > in pristine condition, was the variation in coloring of the
> > tiles, ranging from a light Pastel Aqua to a dark Sea Green.
> > This would seem to support the theory that the tiles were
> > indeed green, but they ranged in color, which would match the
> > black and white period photo you have of Mattes Street Tower,
> > and the theory of tiles of altenating color.
>
> I have actually seen and held a tile from the Greendell station, and I
seem to remember the green ranged from a deep forest green to a light grass
green - it all seemed to be dependent on the thickness of the glaze at that
point. I assume this natural color variation stems from the glazing being
slapped on by hand, and the uneven nature of this gives those color changes.
>
> Obviously, in HO, this is hard to reproduce, so an "average" of all the
colors will have to do...
>
> By the way, does anyone know why green was chosen as the "color of
glazing" for red terra cotta tiles? And why not just leave them unglazed?
>
> - Paul

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