Lionel J
All the water columns I saw on the GTW were at rest with the spout to the side (parallel to the track). Fireman would hook the spout and swing it over the tank hatch, put his foot on the thing and pull the valve. Seems like most of the major stations had columns near one end of the platforms. All of the coal towers had water sources, either columns or tanks. Some of the big roads had water troughs on the main line allowing the train to take on water without stopping.
Hope that helps a bit.
Neil
