Valve
#1
Streetview shows frequently installations like the one on the photo in the industry area in and around Vernon, CA.
I could guess
a. it is a valve to shut down gas supply to the next industry building.
b. it is a water outlet for the fire brigade

It is nice to detail and I would like to know what it is and how it should be placed to serve it's purpose.

[Image: valve.jpg?t=1307973504]
Reinhard
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#2
I am not sure of the regulations in the US, but GAS pipes are normally coloured painted YELLOW, and where it concerns a manual valve, they are inside a locked cage, so that not anyone can just operate them at leisure... that would be a bad thing :-)
This one being next to a carpark and track would indicate it isn't gas, or anything dangerous.
So my guess is, that it is probably a water supply. The red(ish) colour of the valve body would suggest some sort of fire usage, but I don't recognise any fire hydrant couplings, it's a bit too blurry. These are normally of a type that allow quick connections for the fire brigade to be able to attach their hoses and fight a fire as quick as possible.
Perhaps it's just a potable water line for a bigger area, with a main valve in an accessible place. Anyone else any ideas?

Koos
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#3
Two more similar devices from the same area in Vernon, CA.

[Image: valve2.jpg?t=1307986855]
[Image: valve3.jpg?t=1307986856]
Reinhard
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#4
Hmm, those are a bit different, but I'm sure have similar purpose, the pic is just too blurry to see the details. Perhaps they are an odd shape fire hydrant. But regardless of what it is, it wouldn't stop you from modeling them I guess :-)
Are there any signs on the gates/fences around these two that would give a clue?

Koos
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#5
I'm interested in knowing what those are too. I don't think it would be gas pipes, almost has to be water. The first photo, the pipe comes out of the ground then goes back in, but the other two just have pipes coming out of the ground.
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#6
I did scan more in the area. There are plenty of standard fire hydrants (yellow painted). The "objects" are all installed in a way they have access from the street. They are protected by yellow poles if they might be hit by trucks.
Reinhard
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#7
Any chance they are loading valves for transferring products form trucks to underground tanks?
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#8
They look like water main apparatus' to me. But look at the "red curb" in front of one of them - a fire zone - so maybe that one is a hydrant? But in another one, there is a car (LeBaron?) praked right in front. So, if it is a fire hyrdrant, the car is parked illegally. I actually don't see a valve - those usually have relativley large handles on pipes that size - like steering wheels. But I see two anti-backflow devices.
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#9
Here is another simpler one. A fire hydrant is less than 20 yards away.
Might be those devices are use to inject water in case of fire by the fire brigade to operate the sprinkler system independent from the public water supply. I did see such water entries at a lot of German office and industry buildings. However, they look totally different.
All that devices can be reached from the road. You see here the gap in the wall. Another one is excluded from the fence around the property. There are no signs around.

[Image: valve4.jpg?t=1308007933]
Reinhard
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#10
I can't make them out very well, but the mill we serviced had something that looked similar, and it was a water high pressure spray aimed at one of their hazmat tanks.
Charlie
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#11
Reinhard has certainly set us a real puzzler here. Maybe a member from California can help out here?

I am definitely perplexed. I agree with others that its not gas or anything dangerous, but the lack of signage has me stumped.
Here in Melbourne, fire service facilities are usually in red painted cupboards with white writing that clearly states what it contains. At the very least the cupboard doors need to be well signed. There is also usually a blue cats eye reflector on the roadway nearby.
A sample of the types of cupboards would read; Fire Hydrant with Hose Reel [a very common item], Fire Hydrant Booster Connection, Fire Sprinkler Booster Connection. The last two are to be found at larger premises sometimes in multiple locations.
At the school where I work there are several of these later types of cupboards around the perimeter of the grounds in close proximity to various buildings. For example in the grounds just in from the fence in the Boarding Houses area is a large cupboard with a Hydrant Booster Connection in one half and a Fire Sprinkler Booster Connection in the other half. I know this because I had to apply the adhesive lettering to the cabinet following its repainting. These are also checked by the fire services company that checks all the extinguishers and hose reels which are sometimes tampered with by naughty boys.

Mark
Fake It till you Make It, then Fake It some More
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#12
I suspect that they are fire service items, but like I said they certainly lack signage.

The yellow paint on some of the bollards and the reflective yellow stripes on the pole in front of one unit, the one with the car parked in front, indicate to me that they could be fire service related. But if there are no signs then you can hardly blame people for parking in front can you?

I know when I visited Canberra [Australian Capital] years ago I was very surprised to see that their hydrants and fire trucks were yellow, but I figured it was because Canberra wanted to be different.

What colour were the fire hydrants that you did see Reinhard?

Mark
Fake It till you Make It, then Fake It some More
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#13
I am Fairly certain that those are water valves, they are probably there in case one of the industries catches on fire and needs It's own water valve.

California has lots of safety rules, so I wouldn't be surprised if there was a rule that required each industry to have it's own water valve(Not including a fire hydrant).
Justin Miller
Modeling the Lebanon Industrial Railway (LIRY)
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#14
In Canada, a dedicated fire hydrant is called a standpipe - and they are usually located right on the building itself, labelled with something like "Fire Use Only". Seems kind of odd to put a hydrant right on the building, but there may be some issues with frost here that you might not get in California... Wink


Andrew
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#15
I did send a kind question to Mark Whitworth Fire Chief of Vernon. May be he understands us model railroad fans and takes the time for a quick answer. I will let you know.
Reinhard
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