Greg most of the brick and tile works in Iowa produced primarily brick
and/or drain tile and building tile. Drain tile was round in various sizes
and used for sewers and for draining farm fields. Building tile was large
retangular share, larger than a brick, but smaller than a concrete block.
There were hollow and used in constructing buildings, barns, silos, corn
cribs, basements, etc. Some were glazed for a smooth shiny surface. I own a
masonary house built in 1948 entirely of clay tile block, from foundation to
rafters. It has asphalt shingles. Very, very, few tile roofs here in the
land of hail storms.

Clark has shown me interior photos of the clay tile stacked in boxcars.
There was not protective packing, no wood bracing to speak of an no crates.
Loads were simply stacked in the car and rode lose. Because of the weight,
clay tile was not stack very high. The glazing made them slippery. All part
of the reason for the damage claims.

I posted links to some photos of tile works earlier this summer. They show
stacks of drain tile and building tile.

Doug Harding
www.iowacentralrr.org