# CPR Enclosed Water Tower



## harvey (Dec 30, 2008)

Many years ago, June 1996 to be precise, Mainline Modeler did a feature on the Canadian Pacific Railway enclosed water tank. The plans were from the collection of Mr. Anthony Craig and were reproduced at a scale of 3.5 mm = 1 foot.
I have scaled this up to 1:29 scale and am now in the process of building one. Unfortunately I didn't take many photographs during construction, but I think the attached photographs give some idea of what went into it. All construction is Bass wood and as you can see I'm still in the later stages of building the spout. I've built two spouts one from styrene and this one from brass and copper. To say this has been an exercise in frustration would be an understatement. Who would think a simple conical tube could be so difficult? It was just about as much work as the tower itself.
As you can see I still have the valve chain to thread through the upper wall and I have to make and install rollers for the spout chains.
This is as far as I've come so far.
































































Cheers.


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## SE18 (Feb 21, 2008)

Looks fantastic! Particularly the brasswork. Is the chain from Michaels?


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

That's pretty!


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## Richard Smith (Jan 2, 2008)

Harvey, 

That is a gorgeous structure. I feel your pain on doing the spout. It sure came out nice.


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## harvey (Dec 30, 2008)

Sorry I was a little short on details. Yes, the chain is from Michaels. They call it fashion chain and it's .060" (1.52mm) in size.
The shingles are PermaStik tread grip used on boats and skate boards etc. or basically anywhere where a non-skid surface is required. The roll I used was 1" x 20 feet, I actually needed 20 feet and two inches, so at the moment I have two shingles short. This I purchased from my local hardware store.
I have the valve chain sleeve fitted now complete with internal weight to take up the slack. I'm now working on the roller wheels for the counter weights. When these are done I can repair the damage I've done to the staining and finish paint the spout.
Cheers.


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## harvey (Dec 30, 2008)

These are the roller parts and the finished assembly.


























I now need to complete the painting and staining and install the glass in the windows.

Cheers.


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

Looks great! I'm a bit confused on the shingles, though. How much overlap do you have? A single roll of 1" tread tape would cover 240 square inches, and your water tower looks to be 8, maybe 9" in diameter, which is nominally 75 square inches? 

Later, 

K


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## harvey (Dec 30, 2008)

The roof is eleven inch across the flats. The eight ridges are individually covered as well as the outer edges which fold over to the side boards. There is a 50% overlap for each shingle and I have to agree that there would probably have been enough material if I had been a little more careful at the outset.
Cheers.


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## harvey (Dec 30, 2008)

Well, other than the two shingles I have yet to install I think I have now finished this tower.
I've installed two side walk paver's inside to hold it down during windy days, this should also help when I trip over it.
As you can see steam trains are as scarce on this railway as buildings.

















On to the next project.
Cheers.


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## takevin (Apr 25, 2010)

Very well done! The brass work is sharp as well the building.


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

The tower looks great. Great Details with the spout. I like the color. 

In the second picture What is that in the back ground? A steam Tractor? Live Steam?


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## harvey (Dec 30, 2008)

This is my retirement project. A 2" scale live steam Fowler Ploughing (plowing) engine.
My wife keeps asking me how I intend to get out of the basement when it's finished. I tell her I don't need to worry about that because by that time I'll be too old and frail to even contemplate moving it.
Cheers.


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## Nicholas Savatgy (Dec 17, 2008)

This came out nice, never seen this type building before.


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## harvey (Dec 30, 2008)

Hello Nicholas,
This type of water tower was typical in Western Canada due to the severe weather conditions in winter where minus 40 Celsius was not uncommon. (and still isn't)
The two balls on the centre column are the level indicators. The large ball between the roof and the small ball at the top (where the owl is located) indicates the water level in the tank. The stove pipe coming through the roof in front of the level indicator is from the internal pot-bellied stove on the ground floor. The stove pipe went through the tank in a sleeve and helped keep the water from freezing.
Thanks for your comments.
Cheers.


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## silverstatespecialties (Jan 2, 2008)

WOW, that's beautiful!! Nice work!


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## Old Iron (Jan 2, 2008)

NICE. Very neat work! The spout and counter weights were worth the effort. 


Geoff Ringlé


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## Doug C (Jan 14, 2008)

Harvey; 
Fantastic lookin' water tower. Like the shingle work you did on it tooo ! 


With bass wood construction I presume it is a structure that is best hauled inside when a lengthy wet weather sys. is forecast ? Even if heavily sealed with outdoor paints ? 


Hopefully you're railway empire is operating pre-2000 'cause up here, the majority of towers that were deemed historical 'keepsakes' and refurb'd and managed by historical societies . . . have sadly been destroyed by arsonists ! Lucky if a half dozen are left across Canada !


Within the last couple yrs one quite similiar to yours in central Canada (carberry, manitoba ?) suffered from a arsonists match ! 

So if you're into yr. 2000+ make sure you have a security and fireprotection sys installed/active.









It is getting to be that only olde water towers left are the ones that 'craftsman' (like harvey) have meticuously built for our viewing pleasure ! 

IMHO, 

doug c


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## harvey (Dec 30, 2008)

Thanks for your comments Doug.
There is a tower similar to this one just north of Edmonton, Alberta at the Alberta Railway Museum, but I'm not sure if it's a CN or NAR. It's a nice one anyway.
Yes I did use Bass wood for the base and intermediate floors, but I think I used Aspen for the shiplap, actually I used whatever I had on hand and didn't buy any wood for this project. I agree I'll need to keep an eye on it if there is any bad weather in the forecast. Unfortunately around these parts they can't forecast with any accuracy for the next hour!
I'm just getting started on a grain elevator which will be a copy of one close by to where I live. It's a smaller one being only 88 feet tall (36") and I'm doing this in Aspen. When I get a little further ahead I'll post it.
Thanks again for your comments. I did know about the Manitoba water tower and yes my little empire is pre-2000. I would guess around 1959-1965 judging by the loco's and rolling stock.
Cheers.


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## jtmsmike (Dec 12, 2010)

Can you help me with the construction of the roof? I have one that I am rehabbing and I need to build new roff and can't find a howto article for doint the measuring and cutting. Thanks

[email protected]


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## denray (Jan 5, 2008)

Mike 
What are the sizes of the structure you have and how many roof panels are you wanting 
Dennis


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## jtmsmike (Dec 12, 2010)

it is made out of a 3 lb coffee can with real wood banded on the outside. base is made real well out of real wood also. Got it as a part of "junk box" ebay sale. it is about 6" in diameter. panels that I have seen usually run from 8 to 12 from what I saw. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks


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## denray (Jan 5, 2008)

Are you going to shingle it?


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## denray (Jan 5, 2008)

Mike 
What material are you planning on using to make the roof panels out of? 
Dennis


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## harvey (Dec 30, 2008)

Hello Mike,
Sorry about the delay in replying to your question about the roof. My wife and I decided to find a warmer climate for a few weeks.
The roof on my tower is made from 1/4" mahogany plywood and the segments were just roughed to fit then finally sanded on a disc sander to get a tight fit. After I glued them to the top edge and the centre support I sanded a 1/4" wide flat area along the joint lines and installed a 1/4" x 1/4" square section to form the ridges you see in the photographs I posted. The whole roof was then primed with exterior grade paint and the shingled as described.
On the underside of the overhang, which is about 3/8" I sealed this with silicon as it can't be seen. At the top centre where the float shaft enters the roof I made a copper disc and sealed this in place, again with silicon. Both the float shaft and the chimney stack have a small 'O' ring installed to prevent any water penetration.
Hope this helps.
Cheers.


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## G scale (May 29, 2017)

*price*

This is the same water tower they had on the Kettle Valley line in BC.
Can I buy one?
Duncan


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## harvey (Dec 30, 2008)

Hello Duncan, not sure if you could buy one, you could certainly do what I did and make one. The tower itself is pretty straight forward it was the water spout with the hinge that took some time. However, I think the spout assemblies are now commercially available.
Mine has two small roman pavers inside to hold it down during Alberta's sunny days. Its been outside during the summer months for the past six years and the old owl on top is starting to fade. I think I need to bring it in to the workshop one winter and do an overhaul.
If there is anything you think I can help you with just let me know. Also, the members on this site are extremely helpful so you may get a response from them as well. 
Cheers.


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## Scott (Jan 29, 2008)

Nice work mate, looks a treat.


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