Below is a picture of my attempt to construct a Town Water Tower.
once it’s painted and the towns name placed on it, I think it will work…
It looks neat. I hope that the paint will stick to it OK.
Whens Tee-time? heheheheheheheh
Andy, Bruce has a good point. You might want to sand the globe a little or use some of that lung destroying, “No Sand” solvent to get a descent traction for primer or paint. Solvent may attack the glue, so you might want to do that first.
What did you use for the globe?
The globe is a 12 inch light cover, with a 4 inch opening… It’s plastic, not glass…
Basically, one globe cover, 2 funnels, and a 20 inch piece of 1 & 1/4 inch PCV pipe…
The globe is the expensive part…
Figured I would use the water towers as town markers for the layout… Pretty much, each town has some type, to keep the water pressure up…
And, I thought about paint adhereing to it, and thought that a light sanding to rough up the surface would be sufficient, but i’ll take any other ideas…
Brillant , and so true of all the names on towers .
Our water systems here , has several diferent water towers , even different types , some like the standard kind of tower , and tower like yours , and even the standpipe type , sort of like a 3 or 4 inch [for scale size ] pipe , 16 inches tall , with a flat cap on it . Water storage in all shapes and sizes and designs .
(http://www.fayettevilletx.com/images/See%26Do/Water-Tower.jpg)
This was what I was thinking when ya first mentioned the project in chat…I think I might do something similar out of a metal coffee can a bowl and a funnel…would be interesting to see it hanging over the Shop complex…and then stategically place standpipes around The Junction…
Bart, that would look good… There are so many different types of town water towers… Just Google images and search for water towers… Not all my towers will be the same style… The towns around here, have a great choice of towers to choose from…
Guess I need to take a day and drive around and get pictures of them…
Bart Salmons said:
(http://www.fayettevilletx.com/images/See%26Do/Water-Tower.jpg)
This was what I was thinking when ya first mentioned the project in chat…I think I might do something similar out of a metal coffee can a bowl and a funnel…would be interesting to see it hanging over the Shop complex…and then stategically place standpipes around The Junction…
Bart, The float from a commode would work well for the bottom, instead of a bowl. Ralph
Professional hat is now on:
From a structural engineering p.o.v…the top is too big for the base as built, and the shaft is too small for the structural loads a tank full of water that diameter would impose on a steel shaft that narrow. 
Professional hat is now off:
Rule 8 applies. Looks pretty good otherwise, and I promise not to tell the Gravity Police if you wont 
Victor, I tried an 8 inch diameter globe, but it looked too small on the same base set-up… Whereas this picture seems like a beach ball on top, the 8 inch globe looked like the golf ball on a tee…
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/andyc/Water%20tower/Water%20Tower%20Pic%202.jpg)
as you can see
In real world engineering that smaller globe in relation to the shaft would probably be proportionally a little closer to reality. But what the heck, if you like it I wouldnt worry about it, after all, Rule 8 applies (its your RR) and if any visiting engineering students give you a hard time, just say “OK smart guy, go home and build me what it should look like”, and before you know it you’ll get a second free water tower out of the guy before he realizes he’s been had. :lol:
(http://www.cityofmooselake.com/images/about/waterTower_lg.jpg)
(http://www.txroadrunners.com/images/pics/gemtrailsofsouthtx/poteet/PoteetStrawberyWaterTower.jpg)
(http://www.wilhelm-aerospace.org/Photos/summer-2005/roll-04/2790-clinton-water-tower.jpg)
(http://photos.igougo.com/images/p382035-North_Carolina-Baseball_Water_Tower.jpg)
(http://www.lincolnlogan.com/images/Atlanta_water_tower1.jpg)
Some example that are close to your final product, so dont listen to me look forward to see with final paint
I didn’t know Clinton’s museum was on Route 66!
Steve Featherkile said:I thought it was on Route 69 ? ;)
I didn't know Clinton's museum was on Route 66!
Ooowww… did I say that out loud ???
:lol:
I always liked the Georgia peach water tower along I-85.
(http://www.degeneratepress.com/travel/chapel_hill_2005/images/peach.jpg)
Bruce, We have the Ketchup bottle close to here, in Collinsville… I’ve considered doing a mustard tank, or a mayo tank, or even a ““Country Bob’s BBQ sauce”” tank… Could just make an old fashioned campfire coffee pot tank… So many possibilities and so little time… hehehe
You could always do Stroh’s beer
Here’s the one in my town. This shot is from my back porch. That’s my neighbor’s house in the distance. That tower is up there! It even has red strobe lights on top.
Looks like a good/cheap idea to me Andy…you said the globe was expensive? Was it too expensive to apply some heat to it then push it down from the top and sorta flatten it a bit. I think it’s a great idea as I just saw an N scale tower from Walthers that looked like yours(of course with all the paint and details) However in looking at the pictures these guys posted the reservoir (globe) on top needs squished a bit?? Just a thought.
Dave