Water Tower

When you say 'Water Tower' do you mean the large tank on a brick or stone base? Just that I've heard some people refer to 'Water Tower' when they actually mean the Column or 'Crane' which was used to put the water in the loco tanks or tender.

If it is the tower, then this was fitted in anywhere convenient to (i) the water supply (ii) the water coumns. So the end of a platform was quite often used - there's a very good example on the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway at the end of Platform 4 of Keithley station. If there was a loco shed at a station, the tank would usually be sited near the shed.

If in a hard-water area, there would often be a short siding alongside it where the water-softening chemicals could be bought in and the resultant waste removed in wagons.

Chris Leigh's "A Railway Modeller's Picture Library" (Ian Allan, 1995, ISBN 0 7110 2392 1) has several pages of various types of water tower in a variety of locations.

Regards,
John Webb

Its Hornby Skaledale R8639 Water Tower (sorry no pic at mo to put up). I might be able to accomodate a small siding but it won't be a working siding as the station is on a curve, and the siding would have to come off the curve as a result. How long would such a siding need to be? I'm using 00 Gauge and have maybe a foot or so length in which to put the siding.

Don't worry about a siding then - if anyone asks, your railway is in a soft-water area and doesn't need the water-treatment!

Regards,
John Webb

Thanks very much for your replies John. I appreciate your taking the time to help me out.

My pleasure - that's the whole point of this sort of forum!

Regards,
John