I have been enjoying the posts on terminal areas, and associated scenery.
I am wondering if anyone has incorporated any of the various versions of brass water columns/towers or sanding towers produced by Precision Scale, OMI, MaxGrey, etc.? I rarely see these items on actual layouts - mostly in boxes, unpainted.
Not being a brass expert myself, I am surprised by all of the different versions that have been produced.
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I have all of these in brass to go in my locomotive service area. However, I'm missing one important piece I'm always on the lookout for a scale oil column. Very hard to find.
Here is mine.
scratch-built in brass and blackened using a product named the same.
Andre.
Very nice Andre - Great action photo too
Ron, yes I've only seen those in HO; an important piece considering all of the oil tender locomotives.
Weaver models had done several of these.
Sanding tower.
MTH water spout.
Oil columns are hard to find in O.
I have been enjoying the posts on terminal areas, and associated scenery.
I am wondering if anyone has incorporated any of the various versions of brass water columns/towers or sanding towers produced by Precision Scale, OMI, MaxGrey, etc.? I rarely see these items on actual layouts - mostly in boxes, unpainted.
Not being a brass expert myself, I am surprised by all of the different versions that have been produced.
All the different brass steam locomotive servicing pieces you mention, I have purchased over a number of years searching eBay. I have Max Gray, Kemtron, and a few newer pieces from PSC. Generally, they were NOT CHEAP, i.e. over a minimum of $80 each for water and oil spouts. If I recall correctly, PSC purchased the Kemtron/Cal-Scale line of brass parts, and maybe even Max Gray. For some photos of our engine servicing facility, check out the August/September 2010 issue of OGR Magazine (Run 244).
Why not build one from scratch??
Here's a brass HO column...with lots of good pics...for reference...
Tichy makes one in HO (#8169) of an alternative style (Sheffield)...very common in the era. The Tichy one is quite inexpensive if you wanted to have something for reference in upsizing to O.....
...for which plastic/brass/aluminum tubing would be a good starting point. Plastruct makes some plastic pipe (valve) parts. Brackets, wheels, funnel...all fairly simple to scratch/buy.
The pedestal base shown in the brass photo? Check the model ship parts suppliers. That sort of tapered base is very similar to stylized mounting pedestals they offer in different sizes. We (LHS) have a few in our wooden ship models section.
Anyhow, the Tichy HO would give you good reference for dimensions (x2, of course!).
Notice that the HO model in the link sold for $100. Well, good grief Charlie Brown!!....I can't imagine even paying that much for the O scale brass version!!! For the cost of materials and a few key parts, I'm thinking in the $10-15 range....MAX....for a scratched model.
BTW, K&S makes a nice tube bender....device for minimizing the collapse of tube walls when bent. Not at all expensive....handy to add to the tool box. This would be useful if you wanted to replicate in O the column in the photo of the brass model.
What's nice about the alternative style, as in the Tichy kit?....all pipes are straight, no bends.
Just a suggestion......FWIW, always.
KD
Hmmmm...... I'm feeling challenged. Think I'll try doing the Tichy-style column!
P.S...If you go to trade shows or larger train hobby shows....and the Tichy folks are there!!....put a bug in their ear to make O scale versions of their VERY nice HO kits for both water columns and the oil column. Last time I talked with them, they measure demand very seriously. EXCELLENT, inexpensive parts & kits.
Thanks for sharing your photos, Mike - The Weaver sanding tower is very nice
Hot Water: Interesting to know that a proportion of the companies have consolidated - Do you know if these type of Brass structures are things of the past? Other rare ones are the brass coaling towers such as the Ogle variant by OMI
dkdkrd: Thank you for the links and detailed ideas about scratch building - I've never tried before but it sounds like a rewarding undertaking!
Thanks for sharing your photos, Mike - The Weaver sanding tower is very nice
Hot Water: Interesting to know that a proportion of the companies have consolidated - Do you know if these type of Brass structures are things of the past? Other rare ones are the brass coaling towers such as the Ogle variant by OMI
Although I no longer research and look for such pieces, I'm pretty sure that PSC has re-issued most of the "best of the old days" brass engine servicing facility pieces. Between the various 2-Rail SCALE meets/swaps, and eBay, you should be able to find most of what you desire. However, the larger brass "structures", such as coaling towers, water tanks, and sand towers, will bring pretty healthy prices, even at meets/swaps.
I love engine/locomotive service facilities. I plan on putting two on my future layout. They are the heart of the railroad. Here are some suppliers that I know of that carry some of this stuff.
Water Column - Crescent Locomotive Works
Sand House/Tower - Korber Structures
Oil Column (Brass, Expensive) - Precision Scale Co.
Oil Column (Plastic, Good Price) - Bowser
I wish Crescent Locomotive Works would make an oil column like their water column.
Chris
Chris glad you mentioned "crescent locomotive works". I have many of his structures and hope to get more. If you ask him about an oil column I'd bet he would make one
Yes, His water column is very nice. I plan on getting one myself.
Chris
Matt - Thank you for sharing photos. Great sanding tower (post steam era?) and very nice columns. How do you plan to paint the brass oil column? Primer/etching before color?
Chris - Thank you for the links; very useful!
Bill Davis of American scale models offers some of these too.
Thanks BradA - I've run across his website. Very impressive models - Especially like the skip hoist and cinder conveyer.
Chris glad you mentioned "crescent locomotive works". I have many of his structures and hope to get more. If you ask him about an oil column I'd bet he would make one
Gary,
Sorry read your post fast last night. I think if he made one, it would be a big seller. I would ask him, but in the market to buy one right now. Maybe a few more months.
Chris
Has anyone made their water or oil columns actually turn using a motor and such?
Chris
Had to dredge this one up again....
In my earlier response I gave myself a challenge to scratch an oil column in O...but not in brass. I thought I'd do the O clone of the Tichy column, but later decided to replicate the brass column in the photo of another response...
Besides, when I was into HO, I had a couple of this style columns in that gauge made by Lambert, I believe. It's fairly simple in comparison to the the Tichy version.
Anyhow, I envisioned using Plastruct piping components. I found an old tree base that could be cut down for the column base. The grating in the platform floor is simply a brass aerator fitting from the plumbing section of the home improvement store. Everything else is from the scrap parts/materials boxes...
The Plastruct pipe fittings packs have 5 each. A single column only requires one of each fitting. The cash outlay for this one column would be just about $5, then.
I think it turned out OK.....looks fine sitting next to the MTH water column (which now desperately needs to be given a flat finish and weathering!!!) on the unfinished layout. And, yes, it freely swivels in the base.
Anyhow, FWIW.....
KD
OK? It looks great. Nice job.
Tom
KD, Wow, that does look great. I liked it in white plastic at the top of your post, thinking it would look like PVC if I got the parts. Painted by U, it looks real! Great job.
Many great picture posts here again of servicing terminals. I need to get back into it.
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