wooden water tank

[dehusman]

Actually an open top tank is harder to build than a tank with a roof. With a closed tank you can take a piece of plastic pipe or a cardboard tube or even a can and use that as the core of the tank. With an open top tank the entire interior is viewable so the wood planks have to be seen from both sides, it is more difficult to build. With an enclosed tank you are covering a form to make it look like a tank, with an open top, you are actually building a water tank.

Dave H.

[Anonymous]

I think that I have some experience. I've built and tared down (because of moving) already 3 layouts. The fourth is in construction, but I want to test some new methods (especially in scenery). We'll see what comes out.

[tstage]

I don't know how much scratch building experience you have Matthias. As Trainnut mentioned above, a water tank will be a challenge - even to an experienced model builder. Have you scratch-built anything recently, or will this be your first project?

Perhaps an old square design would be the way to go. Get some experience putting that together first then tackle a more complicated barrel-shaped design when your skills are ready for it.

Tom

[egmurphy]

QUOTE: I want to build a tank with an open roof, so what is the interior of the water tower like, is it just the planks in there, or do railroads use any water rejecting materials on the inside for keeping the wood from rotting to fast?

No, tank construction is very similar to barrel construction, tapered staves for the body and metal hoops outside (usually with a turnbuckle or mechanical method of tightening them). Round tanks were most common because it's easier to build a watertight barrel than a watertight box. Rectangular or square tanks did exist, they just required more exterior bracing.

No special sealant materials. Wood, if kept wet, does not rot fast.

An open top tank would certainly be easier to build, and you could use a piece of plastic to simulate the water level.


Regards

Ed

[Anonymous]

Hello again
Thanks a lot for your answers. I learned (once again) that I should be a bit more precise sometimes. So let me try: The tower will stand in a warm-climate, prairie-like environment. Must certainly somewhere in the south, but it is not possible to say where, because if I'll include this diorama in some kind of layout, I'm sure it will be something freelanced (though my prefered prototype is the FEC, which, geographically seen, actually is in the south from a german's point of view).
It should be a simple construction, perhaps even with no roof. It is situated on an old branchline, looking some kind of shady. I'm sure to build it myself, because lasercut wooden kits are very expensive for me. In fact wood for scratchbuild is not. And if the first try won't do I'll just throw it away, burn it in the chimney, or even sel it on ebay :-).
And I've got another question: I want to build a tank with an open roof, so what is the interior of the water tower like, is it just the planks in there, or do railroads use any water rejecting materials on the inside for keeping the wood from rotting to fast?
So again thanks for your answers so far. Maybe I'll have a photographie some day to show my results.
Yours
Matthias

[Anonymous]

Mathias,
Our western water tanks were also rectanguler. You'll find this style on brach-lines, narrow-gage and logging rail lines.

[Anonymous]

Mathias,

How good are your modeling skills? I have scratch built three wooden tanks and while I never discourage another modeler, the roof on a lot of tanks will try even the most experienced modeler's patience. My recommendation is to try one of the plastic kits or if you want that scratch built feel without all the tricks and frustration go with Campbell (it still doesn't get you out of shingling the roof), Evergreen Hill, Banta or Crystal River.


Below is a pic of a scratchbuilt Narrow guage (Los Pinos) tank that I standard guaged (love to make my narrow guage train buddies mad). I made it from plans/drawings that appeared in the Shortline and Narrow Guage Gazette a few years ago. Note the tapered sides and the shingled roof. The tank is board by board out of scale 2x3's. The tank bands are wire stretched around and glued from behind. The roof is sheet styrene covered with shingles. The spout is a Grandt line part.




My two cents,

[tstage]

Matthias,

Welcome to the forum! [:)]

I can't help you as far as building one from scratch but American Model Builders does make a very handsome, 50,000-gallon, wooden water tank that you can glue together yourself. It's laser-cut and made from real wood so that you can either stain it or paint it. It's based on the Missouri Pacific standard design.

Like the AMB water tank, there's another water tank produced by Crystal River Products. which is based on the D&RGW (Durango & Rio Grande Western) railroad. Either kit might be a good alternative if you are not able to locate a suitable scratch-built design.

Hoping that's helpful for you...

Tom

[randybc2003]

Oh Boy!!! [:O][wow][:D]
There were just about as many different styles of small wood water tanks as there were railroads that used them.
Personaly, I would get a "craftsman" kit or laser kit, and put it together first. That will give you an idea of how to assemble them. Then I woudl decide what kind of tank I wanted, and search out plans, or design my own.
Water tanks could be square, (Virginia & Truckee), enclosed Octogon, (Canadian National, Canadian Pacific, Alaska Railroad), Circular, with frost box (Colorado Narrow Gage, and etc.) and even open top, or shaded top. (Siera RR at Warnerville and Jamestown). Check out websites
www.alaskarails.org
www.ghostdepot.com
http://www.nsrm-friends.org/
http://www.steamtrain.org/

Plug "Sierra Railroad" into your search engin and check out the results.

They are plastic, but I wouldn't discount the HELJAN (sp?) CN tank - I built one and modified it to look like one I rember from my childhood in Alaska. Also, consider the ATLAS. - yes, I know everyone has one, but build one and modify it to suit your own layout. Last but not least, IHC has a nice little open-top watertank for desert country. I built one and the fellows down at the club love it. Details West (I Think) used to offer a craftsman kit (individual wooden pieces) of an open top tank. I have one, but have never gotten around to constructing it. I am saving it for time when I can spend some time and realy enjoy it's construction. They may still manufacture it. Check out the Walthers catalog/website, from this website as Links - manufacturers.

Check the Magazine Index, for "Warnerville" and "Jamestown" water tanks. Kalmbach should be able to forward an article on the (I think) Warnerville tank published several years ago. The fellow scratchbuilt it. It is an "open top", but has an "umbrella" roof.

HAVE FUN!

[^][:D][:D]

[Anonymous]

Hello
I hope you'll understnad what I'm writing, my English is actually not very excellent. So here's my question:
I want to build a wooden water tank in old western style(?) for a piece of railroad (is it also diorama in English?). I want to build it from wooden sheets and material like that. I want to build it myself besause on one hand I want it to be some kind of individual and on the other because it is hard to get an affordable model which satisfies my imaginations in Germany.
So, are there any constructional basics, standarts, plans, or whatever? Are there any rules, for example what justifies the appearence of a water tank? Are there special forms, in which they where build? And last but not least, of course: Do you have some pictures as examples and as assist for my project?
Thanks a lot for all your answers, yours
Matthias