Large Scale Central

đźš° Filling the Tender in Jerk-water Towns

General Discussion
#1

The Story Behind Steam Trains and Water Troughs

This video popped up on troughs tonight. The comment section noted that In America this method of scooping up water was called “jerking water”. The New York Central used it on the 20th Century Limited. A place where the train didn’t have to stop because it could jerk water was called a “jerk water town”. Now a jerkwater town means someplace that’s boring or insignificant.

Here’s the summary.

Revolutionary Railway Innovation

:steam_locomotive: John Ramsbottom’s 1860 invention of water troughs allowed steam locomotives to refill thousands of gallons of water without stopping, revolutionizing long-distance train travel.

:droplet: The system enabled trains to scoop up 2,000 gallons of water in just 20 seconds at full speed, using retractable scoops fitted under the tender.

British Railway Dominance

:uk: Water troughs were predominantly a British innovation, with over 140 sets installed at 60 locations across the UK, enabling record-breaking non-stop express services like the London to Scotland route.

Engineering Challenges and Spectacles

:sweat_drops: Miscalculations in scoop timing could lead to dramatic overflows, drenching crew and passengers, making water trough passages a spectacle for trackside photographers and a hazard for open-window travelers.

Historical Impact and Legacy

:train2: This uniquely British technology played a crucial role in the golden age of railway travel until the 1960s, when the transition to diesel and electric locomotives rendered water troughs obsolete.

Summary for: https://youtu.be/5yXJYAMybjI by Noiz — Transcript From YouTube Video

1 Like
#2

Those water troughs were a brilliant idea.
I wonder if anyone has ever modeled one in G. There is an Aristo tender that has a scoop underneath.

#3

Yes, but scooping water wouldn’t do the electronics any good!

I’ve never heard of one in F scale or Gauge-1.

#4

Yeah, water soaked electronics are not a good thing.
A working model would be incredible but I was thinking of a trough between the rails on the mainline to convey the idea.
I’d add the water trough to the list of things we do not often see modeled like ash pits.

1 Like
#5

With a name like, Ramsbottom, I think he was destined to invent this scoop.

#6

Bill;

Mr. Ramsbottom also invented one of the first effective boiler safety valves. That name also answers the question, “What happens to you if you mingle with a flock of sheep during the breeding season?”

Keep on trackin’, David Meashey

#7
1 Like