Water Tank, Wooden, 50,000 Gallons, with pump house - HO
Wooden Water Tank, 50,000 gallons, with pump house.
The Great Northern Railway Historical Society Company Store is proud to offer this 50,000-gallon wood water tank, with pump house, custom made from official GN drawings by Monroe Models in HO scale.
The oldest drawings of 50,000-gallon water tanks available to us date to 1881 from the St. Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba. Our straight sided tank is based on 1915 drawings and available evidence is that straight sided tanks became standard for new construction in 1915. Such water tanks were used all over the Great Northern as the typical branch line water tank. On a more or less flat line they were placed about 20 miles apart, while on a mountain grade, eight to ten miles was the limit of safe spacing between tanks.
Available evidence suggests that before 1918 some tanks were painted red, and others green, both with black bands. After April 1918 tanks were painted mineral brown. On May 1, 1928 the standard color was changed to light gray, except in the vicinity of engine houses or adjacent to switching leads where they are likely to be badly smoked up, mineral red was specified. In the spring of 1940, the standard color was changed to black.
Tower posts and braces were evidently raw wood until 1918 when they were to be painted mineral brown. Tanks with gray tubs had either treated posts and braces or they were painted gray. Treated posts and braces became standard in 1940. Treatment was not specified but your Store Manager believes they were creosoted.
On undisturbed ground footings were 36x36x12” foundation stones. If located on disturbed ground or fill, cast concrete footings were used.
The standard height to the bottom of the tank was 16 feet, which was changed to 20 feet in 1930. Our model is of a tall tank.
The pump house sheltered a gasoline powered water pump used to draw water from the ground and pump it into the tank. The pumphouse was an integral part of the water supply system in all but a handful of locations.
If you model the steam era, you can place one of them almost anywhere and be consistent with Great Northern practice.
The kit
The kit is made of laser cut and etched basswood, micro-plywood, and fiberboard parts. The parts are designed to tab and slot together and include peel-and-stick trim. The kit features a one-piece cast styrene roof. It also includes a cast metal spout designed to GN specifications with a chain for the spout.
The completed tank is approximately 3" x 3" x 6.5" tall. The completed pump house is 2.25" long, 2" wide and 1.75" tall.
See RS 239.