SOUTH DEVON RAILWAY Totnes Water Tank
When the London Group first took on the challenge of erecting the water crane brought to Devon by the Worcester Locomotive Group they researched getting a commercial tank and obtained quotes. Unfortunately this period coincided with our impending purchase of the line and so the project was shelved until further funding could be identified.
At the beginning of 2006 the SDRT Board gave approval to proceed with the construction of the water tank for Totnes Littlehempston and that the tank should be built in house. This was after a grant of £10,000 from the South Devon Railway Association had been made available to the SDRT. This money has been raised in two of the Annual Draws run by the Association specifically to provide for watering facilities at Totnes.
Below are a series of photographs shewing the tank construction at the Works. The float wheel is from the original GWR water tank at Totnes which was concrete and so we couldn't move it.
The slab for the tank was to be cast on Thursday 23rd November 2006 but the lorry couldn't get to site so this too will now be done in house. Much as the London Group had to transport the aggregate and cement from Buckfastleigh to Totnes Littlehempston to mix together by hand on site in 1983, so the tank construction team are having to do in 2006. Having been on the original London Group team and having moved half of the 40 bags of cement (they were 50kg each in those days) I wish them luck!
30th November 2006 saw full time staff and volunteers from all over the railway band together to mix 30 tons of aggregate into concrete for the water tank. The whole job took under three hours to complete using seven mixing machines and thirty volunteers.
The erection started on the 12th December 2006 as scheduled and the stand was assembled; see below.
Today we received photographs of the actual tank being constructed onto the stand at Totnes; details.
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| The legs for the Totnes Littlehempston tank await transport to site | JH |
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| Tank panels are bolted together in the works | JH |
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| Preassembled tank in the Works before painting (Note float wheel) | GRB |
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| View of inside before painting | GRB |
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| Main output pipe before welding together | GRB |
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| Casting the water tower slab | RJE |
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| Volunteers and full time staff "mix" together | JRE |
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| A genuine "batch" mix; a production line of mixers | JRE |
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| The water tank stand as erected | JRE |
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| Totnes gang with GNER award, the water crane and Ashburton 'box | CMT |
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| The New Tank at Totnes nears completion; only the plumbing to do..... | EGP |
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| 5526 is prepared to take water at Totnes on Sunday 15th April 2007 | PBC |
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| 5526 Takes water at Totnes on Sunday 15th April 2007 | GRB |
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| 5526 Takes water at Totnes on Sunday 15th April 2007 | PBC |
| Photographs: | JH | – | John Haslam |
| GRB | – | Gavin Bishop | |
| JRE | – | Richard Elliott | |
| CMT | – | Chris Mackenzie–Thorpe | |
| EGP | – | Ted Parrott | |
| PBC | – | Peter Clemo |
© South Devon Railway Association 2006-21