Coke Retort

Insert Your Own Gas Joke Here!

For over a century, the gas works was a fixture of American cities and towns.

Long before natural gas and electricity were common, these facilities generated "coal gas" to power street lamps, home appliances and industrial machinery.

The gas was actually a byproduct, made by baking coal to produce coke.

To bake coal at the high temperatures required to produce gas, a special structure known as a retort was used.

This consisted of several huge vertical ovens built side-by-side.

While designs varied to meet the needs of each operation, newer plants sometimes had a large metal storage building above the ovens.

This provided space for a machinery house to power supply conveyors, as well as huge storage bins where coal could be delivered to each oven by gravity as needed.

Between these structures, a series of pipes collected gas and other byproducts.

With its detailed brick and steel parts, this unique structure says "heavy industry" in any scene.

The kit includes ovens, overhead building, covered conveyor and additional details.

Decal signs and complete instructions are also included.

• Footprint: 17" x 22" x 14" (42.5cm x 55cm x 35cm)

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