Como water tanks.

[Chris Walker]

Jim,
ripping boards lengthwise and planing was all part and parcel of woodworking years ago.  That would have been done on a Tablesaw in the carpenter's shop, a guy I knew would even make his own TG&V so not uncommon, maybe today where everyone buys stuff.

[SteveG]

Very nice! Here's the basic concept of my tank core--need to go back and taper the sides:

[Paul R.]

Chris,
Mine were done individually using a finger plane, and checked often to make sure they are vertical.  Not hard to do just a couple of swipes with the finger plane. To do when watching the telly, same with the shingles which have to be hand cut from veneer. Paul R.

[Jeff Ramsey]

Interesting is that the original D&RG tank at Cumbres Pass was very close to the upper tank at Como. Notice there is no diagonal bracing (as standard) on the outer bents of the pedestal but there are 2 posts that are notched and angeled for lateral rigidity plus it looks like there are compression rods that supplement the diagonal timber bracing that stays the inner and outer bents. The frost box appears to also larger like the one in Como which also not the standard for both D&RG and C&S tanks. There is also the same number of bands on the tub and even the turnbuckles appear to be similar. I wonder if the Como, French Gulch and Cumbres Pass tanks were not designed by the railroads but were designed by, purchased from and possibly erected by a water tank supplier or manufacturer?

[Jim Courtney]

Jeff,

This is a late 1930s view of the same tank at Cumbres, from the Dorman collection:

http://ngtrainpics.photoshelter.com/gallery-image/RD013-D-RGW-Cumbres/G0000r0O6Ky.vzjY/I0000xMaQF2selUg/C0000Vd2qoA2MbNU


It looks like the tank bands at the bottom of the tank (where water pressure is greatest) have been reinforced with rods and simple turnbuckles.  And have additional support posts been added? Along with additional diagonal bracing not present in the earlier Lively photo that you posted?

In both photos, the roof appears flat like the C&S tank at Dickey. One wonders why, at Cumbres with all the snow, the D&RG would have a water tank with a flat roof?

Maybe it's just the views, looking up, that makes the tank roof look flat.  In other, earlier Lively photos of Cumbres, the tank appears to have a conical roof:

http://ngtrainpics.photoshelter.com/gallery-image/RD013-D-RGW-Cumbres/G0000r0O6Ky.vzjY/I0000gfFiZMhWJ6g/C0000Vd2qoA2MbNU

[Keith Hayes]

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Does anyone have a good photo of the turnbuckle (rods) and the equal for bands used on C&S tanks?

I need some for my tank model, and think the best way to go is to create a 3d printed part.

[SteveG]

Here's what's on the restoration at Baker Tank for the bands--appears to be tubing and sheet metal riveted to the band, with a threaded rod through the tubes and bolts to tighten:

[Jim Courtney]

Not sure your gonna find a single type of band or rod fastener.

At Dickey there were at least two types of band fasteners or perhaps more accurately "tighteners".  The bands themselves were strips of metal riveted or bolted together to make a half circle or more:

http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cdm/fullbrowser/collection/p15330coll22/id/44057/rv/singleitem





And at Webster the band "tighteners" came in both skinny and wide varieties for the different width of bands at the top vs bottom of the tank:

http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cdm/fullbrowser/collection/p15330coll22/id/42523/rv/singleitem/rec/461


And the circumferential tension rods at the lower part of the tank has a different style of "tighteners" that don't look like mere turnbuckles.

Perhaps there are other, clearer photos. I'll keep looking, as I trust Chris will as well.

[Jim Courtney]

More C&S water tank band fasteners:

Crossons:

http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cdm/fullbrowser/collection/p15330coll22/id/78391/rv/singleitem


A completely different style of single bolt fastener on each band.


Selkirk:

http://c-sng-discussion-forum.41377.n7.nabble.com/Selkirk-td4726.html



Yet another type of double bolt band fastener, used from top to bottom.


Is it me, or do C&S tanks have fewer band fasteners than on D&RG tanks? It was my understanding that D&RG tank bands were half circles, each band fastened twice, on opposite sides of the tank, the band fasteners staggered top to bottom symmetrically.

Most of the C&S photos I've looked at seem to have a paucity of fasteners--was there only one per band?

[Chris Walker]

I'd hardly call the tensioners "turnbuckles" since there aren't any left-hand threads involved, Keith.

my favourite at Idaho...
http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cdm/fullbrowser/collection/p15330coll22/id/42719/rv/singleitem


Tank detail at CRRM


Looks like there are quite a few variations on this theme.....

[Jim Courtney]

The band fasteners at Idaho Springs probably are the same as at Crossons. Perhaps they were common to the smaller capacity tanks.


Ah, "tensioners" . . . you have such a way with words, Chris!

[Chris Walker]

Jim Courtney wrote

Is it me, or do C&S tanks have fewer band fasteners than on D&RG tanks? It was my understanding that D&RG tank bands were half circles, each band fastened twice, on opposite sides of the tank, the band fasteners staggered top to bottom symmetrically.

Most of the C&S photos I've looked at seem to have a paucity of fasteners--was there only one per band?

Knock yourself out, Jim

Golden,

http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cdm/fullbrowser/collection/p15330coll22/id/42304/rv/singleitem/rec/7

[Chris Walker]

I forgot I'd shot the Woodstock tank, again different tensioner castings



looks like there are only two per band here...

[Keith Hayes]

Chris, you are correct. It is not a turnbuckle. I had a brief loss of consciousness.

On the other hand, what a wide variety of hardware I have to choose from. I had no idea.

[Alex Hois]

Crossons, looks like the same style as Golden and CRRM

I guess it's from one of the lower tension rods of the first tank in Jim Courtney's post.
http://c-sng-discussion-forum.41377.n7.nabble.com/The-Best-Preserved-Stretches-of-C-S-ROW-tp5367p5388.html

[Jeff Young]

Great find, Alex!

Cheers,
Jeff.

[SteveG]

Here's my first shot at the tank form and wrapper for the Como tank in H0n3. Discovered that the difference between engraving and cutting with a laser printer is very slim when you're working with 1/32 wood--had I not slapped some blue tape on it before I took it out of the printer, I would have had the 'one board at a time' option pretty quickly. :)

[SteveG]

Just for fun, I tried doing a 3D model of the tensioners on the Baker tank. Will see how they turn out on a 3D printer at work. I could try making the rod threaded, but fear that level of detail world be lost in HOn3:

[Jeff Ramsey]

Here is a turnbuckle in the rust garden at CRRM's library.

[Jeff Ramsey]

Interesting is a water tank being restored in Montana. This trank a long with the upper or roundhouse tank were tapered tanks and the link to the website will explain that kind of construction and restoration. On the the actual tank or tub in Montana the iron stave hoops appear to be identical to the hoops that are supposed to be used in the replicated tank in Como. It is not knows where these x C&S  surviving hoops came from but I suspect Selkirk Tank

http://markslumber.us/blog/post/elkhorn-water-tank-restoration-bringing-3-generations-together