350.000 Gallons Steel Water Tank
This is one of the standard features of the Union Pacific in the steam era. These tanks were everywhere on the system and iin various sizes. The 350.000 gallon type supplied the facilities at Cheyenne, WY with water and one of these is still standing at Harriman, Wy. I was lucky enough to visit the site in 2023 and could take a lot of detailed pictures. Together with the published plans and an Overland HO brass model of the tank that I have here, I am now building my own 1:48 scale version of the huge structure.
The tests have been made with filament printed C-channels. The resin printed webbing is quite filigrane and makes a very close protoype impression. I am not going to print the whole girder in resin since I fear tweaking and warping with even the expensive rech resins. Good old brass should play the trick.
The support structure consists mainly of lattice girders that I successfully model with brass c channels and a resin printed laced mesh that I glue in between. The result is a very stable and constructive fully fuctional girder to support the tank body.
Tank body
I’m experimenting with a modular approach in order to be able to print segments and then finally assemble them in a supported structure. First test are promising.
In order to fully detail the model, every rivet was counted on the original studiyng the pictures.
Dear Sarah,
I’m very very interested in this one you make, you know I do union pacific but to find one is only in ho scale brass from overland
there is a few in O scale brass but the one you do I don’t know. What you do is very impressive. You must make kits, we needed:)
Best regards,
Edwin
Thanks Edwin, once this is successfully built I’ll upload all files and a detailed description of the process. This one is going to be really cool!
Sarah
You are good but can I not buy one from you as built 🙂 again I’m on a forum so I started all over what I’m doing but a great viewers hope this one will be long…….
I have mailed you but I don’t know if you received it if you do than can I send you the new forum, if you interested of course.
Best regards,
Edwin