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Settle Station Water Tower


MarkRand
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Evenin' all,

My name is Mark Rand and I am the challenged person who lives in Settle Station Water Tower. You may have seen us on Channel 4's Restoration Man. After a few years of hard work the job is more or less finished and I am considering an OO gauge track all around the inside of the water tank, which is 52 feet x 20 feet in old money - so about 144 feet of track. This is for the grandchildren, you understand. The last time I had an OO gauge set it was Triang (sorry) and I was about seven. I need advice on what sort of track to get and where to get it, in quantity. It will live permanently outdoors and at altitude and will run about a foot below the inside of the tank top, secured every 5 feet or so to massive cast iron flanges. The curves at each of the corners can be as gentle as they need to be.

You can see our blog at

settlestationwatertower.blogspot.com

I am sure there will be an 'idiots guide' somewhere on this forum if somebody can point me towards it.

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Hi Mark - welcome to the forum.

For OO gauge ready-to-run track in the UK there's really only Peco Streamline code 100 flexible track with nickel silver rails that I could suggest. It's what the majority here use on their outdoor layouts and it's proven capable of withstanding the UK climate - yes, even at altitude! It's available with either concrete or wooden type sleeper and in boxes of 25 x 1 yard (old money) lengths. Your grandchildren will love it!

Where to purchase?.... well probably the best source would be those http://www.ehattons.com/stocklist/1000407/1000588/1000687/0/Peco_Products_OO_Gauge_1_76_Scale_Track_Code_100_Streamline_/prodlist.aspx nice guys in Liverpool but I'm sure there'll be similar offers available elsewhere. It's usually very prompt despatch from Liverpool.

I'm somewhat ashamed to say I didn't see the C4 program so I'd better visit your blog and take a look for myself.

EDIT: I see there's a link to the TV programme from your blog - will have a watch of that later too.

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Hi Mark,

Sounds like you will be building a shelf based outdoor railway, (as opposed to a classic garden railway) there are a few of them on here.

The two that immediately spring to mind are my own (no modesty here) and IanR's.

I have shamelessly copied Ian at almost every stage and I whole heartedly recommend you to do likewise. Read his thread and study the pictures in his gallery.

Then ask questions.

There are a few things we'd all do differently with the benefit of hindsight, so it's always worth checking that something someone did 5 years ago is still the way they'd do it tomorrow.

Mick is spot on with the track, Peco code 100 will do the job, and don't be afraid of adding points, there's plenty of us who have had them operating outdoors for years.

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What a wonderful place to live. It puts my small collection of railwayana to shame as you actually live in the railwayana!

I've been to Settle and seen the tower quite a few times and I also saw the TV programme. What a great job you made of the restoration.

What a great place for a model railway! The tank of a water tower on the Settle & Carlisle railway, pretty unique I'd say!

I'll definitely second what Mick and Chris have said regarding the Peco code 100 flexi track. It is very robust and perfect for the job.

Did you know that there's a model shop in Settle? Maybe they could do you a deal on the track if they sell it. It's not mentioned on their website though.

JDM Models, 24 Market Place, Settle. 01729 823417

Then there's Craven Models in Skipton if you want to keep it local.

If I can be of any help please don't hesitate to contact me, and I should think that goes for everyone else on here.

Kind regards, Ian R

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  • 4 weeks later...

Thank you all for such very helpful advice and encouragement. I have looked at all the links and photographs, which have answered a good few queries.

Yes, it is inevitably a shelf set-up made of 4" wide x 2" thick tanalised board, to go with the chunky ambience inside the Midland Railway's iron tank. Brackets will be at 4 foot centres in fact - I can drill and plug into the sealant between the 4 foot long cast iron tank plates. The sealant is amazing stuff. Obviously applied in a semi solid state originally but it sets like cast iron itself. I am told it was a concoction of putty, bitumen, powdered coke, iron turnings, sulphuric? acid and one of the ammonium compounds. I guess the idea was that it rusted, expanded, then set solid. Anyway the tank did not leak one drop.

I am grateful for the roofing felt idea and shall ensure it is stuck down thoroughly. Intrigued by the soldered wire connectors between the rail sections. I was thinking of drop wires to cables below the deck. Does that sound like a good idea?

The entire shelf is against the continuous tank perimeter, inside which is the roof room and walkways so I have no complication of an access flap.

Weather permitting I hope to make a start this week. I have an existing Blog settlestationwatertower.blogspot.com so I shall be posting pictures of the progress there. The real expertise clearly resides in this forum so I shall rely on you guys to keep me on the paths of goodness and righteousness and to prevent me from making too big a public fool of myself.

In passing, we are on TV in the USA in the next month or two. A programme called "You Live in What?" This is quite separate from Restoration Man. A film crew from Dallas Texas came specially. We have our fingers crossed that they will be gentle with us.

Mark Rand

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