Researching A Prototype

[eightyeightfan1]

Research can be a helpful tool when doing prototype modeling. I know...I know. You've all heard me say I'm not a big fan of prototype modelling. But since I was doing one for my scratchbuild challenge, it helped me out immensly.
While studing the pic of Ore Hill depot, I noticed there was a shelf, with a barrel underneath. What was the shelf for? Paperwork? I also noticed that most of the old flagstops had the same detail. A shelf with a barrel underneath.....

 

[eightyeightfan1]

Except maybe this one....
The barrel was around the corner from the shelf. But the pic did yeild a clue what the barrel was used for.

 

[eightyeightfan1]

So the barrel was used for fire. Still didn't explain the purpose of the shelf.
Then I saw this picture.
With the angle of the sun casting a shadow on the side of the building, it showed that there were two holes in the shelf.

 

[eightyeightfan1]

OK....So what did the holes hold...Tools?
Nope..This pic showed that the shelf held buckets. Ah...Now my research is complete!
Fire buckets!. Made sense. Since a lot of flagstops were outside of the main town, or out in the middle of nowhere.

 

[eightyeightfan1]

I also noticed that in alot of the pics, the buckets were missing. Tempting prize for a turn of the century homeowner. Probably also explained why a lot of the burned to the ground.
Studing the pic of Ore Hill, I saw what I first thought was a discarded paint can.
Could it be one of the missing buckets?

 

[eightyeightfan1]

So...Looking at pic of buildings with simalar details helped me answer a question.
Think I'm going prototype modelling.
Don't bet the farm............