UK water tank


Bread&steel

Bread&steel

Member
Well I'm back from my adventure in the UK. I had fun exploring the UK railways with my Portsmouth friend, David Barber. I ran into a style of water tank that I just love, and with a bit of brass, it can be modeled. This would be a point of interest on an American short line steam railroad.

So here it is.

Larry
 
Is that actually a water tank or a standpipe? It looks like it is a standpipe that has a small tank to hold the water that was pumped up through the standpipe and then drained by gravity in the tender. This was common in areas where there abundant water but too much pressure. The tank on top allowed the engineers to get the water out of the ground and into the tender without blowing out hoses and fittings.
 
UP2CSX said:
Is that actually a water tank or a standpipe? It looks like it is a standpipe that has a small tank to hold the water that was pumped up through the standpipe and then drained by gravity in the tender. This was common in areas where there abundant water but too much pressure. The tank on top allowed the engineers to get the water out of the ground and into the tender without blowing out hoses and fittings.
Click to expand...

Hi Jim That sounds right. I standpipe corrected :D But isn't it cool !
 
It is very cool. You don't often see these because most water tanks had to be filled by pumping. With a standpipe tank, you just open a valve and nature does the work. I wonder what the orange looking thing with the stack is next to the standpipe?
 
I wonder what the orange looking thing with the stack is next to the standpipe?[/QUOTE]

Here's a close up of that thing. Does anyone know what it is ???:confused:

Also here is a picture of yet another one.
 
Well, I see no one else has posted so I'll take a WAG at this one. It looks like a water hammer relief valve. In a high pressure water line, you can get a pressure wave when a valve is closed suddenly. This is commonly called water hammer. By having that small tank and air stack attached to the standpipe, you've provided a means for the pressure wave to dissipate before it causes damage to the valves or other fittings.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it. :)
 
fire devil

I have the answer ! From my friend in Portsmouth England. Here is what he said:


YES! the rusty looking item, under the water tower you saw at Haven street railway, is what as known as a " FIRE DEVIL " what it does is to stop the water tank from freezing in the cold. you have a stove at the base, filled right up with anthracite, and then lit. at the top of the chimney pipe is an H piece, flames belch out of it onto the water tank base underside, keeping the ice away,and water free to run into the loco tanks or tender.

Interesting !
 
Well, so much for my WAG. :) The fire devil makes a lot more sense. The sucker must really belch out some flames to keep the water in that tank from freezing. It would make a really interesting night shot.
 
Don't forget, Jim, their winters aren't all that cold and it only takes a little heat to keep the water above the freezing point.
 
Cool tanks there . Can you just see OSHA letting that Devil belch out ? Can't wait to see the build also
 
Yes , I must build this one !!! I'm into the modern diesel era, but since my industral short line never gets rid of anything, old stuff like this tank still remain and collecting rust
 
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