Dapol/ Kitmaster water tower

[Ray M]

I`ve just built one of these said kits,

but what colour should i go for.  It will be at the side of a small diesel depot, based around 1965-1972

Twixt a midland/western change over point.   What colours have you gone for ?,    Lets see em

 

Thanks to all 

[37114]

In my carriage sidings I went for grey based on a colour photo, but  I model 1977 rather than late 60s which may mean some of the regional colours may still have survived.

 

[Fat Controller]

1 hour ago, Ray M said:

I`ve just built one of these said kits,

but what colour should i go for.  It will be at the side of a small diesel depot, based around 1965-1972

Twixt a midland/western change over point.   What colours have you gone for ?,    Lets see em

 

Thanks to all 

Ones I've seen at depots have tended to be grey; I have seen ones around stations in Regional colours.

 

[russ p]

Is it based on a particular prototype? 

[Steamport Southport]

6 minutes ago, russ p said:

Is it based on a particular prototype? 

 

I found about a dozen very similar to it recently. Mostly GWR or Western Region. Of differing sizes and styles. The top is usually curved though.

 

But I have a feeling they might have been supplied by a third party rather than made by the GWR.

 

For example this is Henley In Arden.

 

https://www.warwickshirerailways.com/gwr/gwrha1395.htm

 

Kemble. Notice the strengthening on the legs.

 

 

 

Jason

[The Johnster]

Mine is actually part of an NCB complex and is all over black, heavily rust stained and weathered.  I doubt railway owned ones were looked after much in terms of fresh paint except where they were prominently visible to the public, in which case all sorts of things might happen to them such as Cardiff Central's concrete tower's daffodils, admittedly following a period during which the thing had become a terrible eyesore.  I didn't take too much notice of them back in the day (meaning pre-70s) until it was too late, like many other railway relatied stuff I wish I'd paid more attention to now, but I recall grey, black, various versions of brown/cream WR, or maroon/cream LMR, and occasionally dark colours that looked as if they were used because they were whatever was to hand at the time the tower was painted. 

 

The Airfix/Dapol/Kitmaster tower is a long established old stager that is suitable for use and adaptation in all sorts of situations, but AFAIK is not based on a particular prototype; I could well be wrong about this as most of Airfix's 'Lineside' range were!  It is typical of towers used on the railway and in industry built over a long period, I would say from the 1880s up to the 1930s, with steel frames and plated/rivetted construction.  They were 'header' towers designed to hold a body of water under head pressure for distribuition to points (such as water cranes on railways) in the locality, rather than providing water directly to locomotives.  Older towers typically had decorative 'panels' on the rivetted plates. 

 

The supply and outlet pipes on the model are encased in a timber covering, a common feature to protect against icing.  The kit can be improved with better inspection hatch railings and ladder.  Railway towers seem to have had curved corrugated roofs like Jason's examples, and to be proportioanlly different, with less width to length, than the kit tower, but this does not detract from the cromulence of the kit unless you are modelling a specific location. 

Edited November 16, 2020 by The Johnster

[SM42]

 

Here is  scanned photo of the water tower at Kidderminster, taken shortly after the goods yard closed  around 1982/3.

 

 

 

It had been that colour for as many years as I care to remember

 

 

Andy

Edited November 16, 2020 by SM42

[Il Grifone]

I did mine in BR(W) chocolate and cream (fifties livery but it would have still been around in the late sixties).

It can be seen here (just scroll down a bit).

 

P.S. The Castle (7017) has since acquired a green tender - 'County' rather than 'Castle', but never mind.

Edited November 17, 2020 by Il Grifone

[Chris M]

Snap!

[Ray M]

I like that.

Thanks