A question in the modeling section prompted me to wonder how a large railroad water tower was assembled. Aren’t wooden barrels kind of built over a mold? How did they build large water towers that were eventually held together by bands? Was there an original inner structure that was removed once all the wood was up, banded and then swelled by the wetness and volume of the water?
Ric Golding said:When I was between 5 and 10 years old (last half of the 1940s), my father owned a well drilling and water development company in Southern California. He built quite a number of redwood stave water tanks in a variety of sizes. None for RR use, but several were for community and or resort water systems and typical of the type of tanks used in the steam RR days.
A question in the modeling section prompted me to wonder how a large railroad water tower was assembled.
The new tank was delivered as a factory milled redwood ‘kit’ with all the grooves, etc. already done. After pouring the concrete foundation, the support structure was built from redwood timbers using large threaded rods and bolts, washers and nuts. No large electric drills: All necessary holes were bored by hand using a brace and bit! The tank deck was built from T&G redwood that was nailed to the support structure from underneath. The tank base was two layers if I remember correctly.
To build the tank on the deck, they used a few temporary support pieces (just common 2x4s) along with rope or cable to hold a few staves spaced around the tank. Not really a ‘form’, but just a few temporary braces. After getting a few starter staves standing, they installed a band or two using large ‘staples’ to hold the band at the proper vertical position on the starter staves. These first bands were adjusted to their largest diameter. Then the production staves were installed. The staves just sat in a groove in the deck and were quickly put together against the temporary bands. The starter staves were integrated into the structure as it progressed. The large diameter setting of the first band allowed the last staves to be installed between the previously placed ones. Once the last staves were installed, the remaining bands were installed (using a few staples to keep them in position), the tank was shaped (straightened) as all the bands were tightened, then water added. It took a week or more for the wood to swell and stop leaking. Some seepage was acceptable. Most of the tanks I remember had the roof supported directly from the tank deck rather than sitting on the tank itself.
I can remember one tank on a particularly windy site where they waited several days before having calm enough conditions to complete the unsupported tank section. Big deal for a small contractor with contract time limits and a work crew idled!
That was over 55 years ago! I went by one of the tank sites about 15 years ago and it appeared that the tank my dad built was still well and in use. It was obvious the roof had been recently replaced, but the tank appeared to be the original. It looked very well weathered!
Happy RRing,
Jerry
Thanks Jerry, great answer. I was able to picture exactly how it was assemled.
I watched a guy making barrels on PBS (the Woodwright’s Shop) once.
If you see it done, you’d say, “Na, that can’t work!”