Hello I am working on my service facilities it is steam era. But we are getting some of those new diesels. And I need something to hold the fuel. I was thinking of using a single dome tanker? But I am not sure if this would be right. Can someone tell me where to find photos of this or do you have one on you layout. I do have a water tower, ash pit/hoist, sanding house, coal tower, roundhouse and turn table. I think I have the steam stuff covered. What do you think ? Frank
The Santa Fe had a practice of using the single dome tanks for storing and dispensing diesel. I am sure many other railroads did this as well.
I have a Walthers kit for fueling diesels. It builds up very nice and is simple to put together.
Is this diesel a permanent thing or do you have it just for a test drive? Either way you could go super modern and use a fuel truck. Amtrak refuels it’s long distance trains in mid run this way. Many short lines and branches also call the local distrbutor to send over a truck.
But I would prefer the single dome tank car. An interesting addition and it gives your engine house crew somenthing else to switch. FYI the Santa Fe painted a green band on 1 end of the tank to designate it as company fuel.
Here’s whatour local shortline does for deisel storage.
Hello I think it will be permanent but. I want it to look like it was supposed to be temporary. I was thinking of a tanker sitting on old ties or something like that or should i leave the trucks on . It will be for filling some switchers and some road power. Thanks Frank
You could just park a normal tank car (probably decaled for an oil company) at the end of the spur that services the ash pit, with the bottom valve connected by hose to one of those (assemble in minutes) tin sheds. Pipe and hose from the other side of the shed to the spot(s) where the diseasel refuels. Big switch box on the side of the shed, which must also have electrical service. If you leave the shed door open you can model the pump and motor.
When the tank car is drained, it gets pulled and replaced with a full one, one more switching opportunity. Don’t forget the hazmat diamonds.
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Is that tank a one peice or several peices?
Tank cars are what the PRR used when first getting into diesels. In the late 40’s they spent over eleven million dollars to build diesel facilities at just the major locations in addition to the cost of the diesels. Often they would put a spur higher than the engine track to aid gravity in feeding the beasts.
I have used old tank cars for my diesel service area. Took off the trucks and mounted the tankers on a platform. I made my own piping from old “sprues” from past model kits. I never throw anything away. It can all be used for something. I’ve also taken toilet paper and paper towel rolls and painted them and used for storage tanks for just about anything. Soup cans and others can be used for tanks also. The possibilities are endless.
Paulie[8D]
Folks:
The plant I work at once used a pair of tanks salvaged from very old tank cars, mounted on concrete piers, to hold heating oil (basically diesel fuel). You’d probably want the tank to be elevated above the locos’ fuel tank level. The 2-81 MR, and also TRACKSIDE STRUCTURES YOU CAN BUILD, have an article by John Olson on a “tank car water tank” which is actually based on a prototype fuel oil tank. I think this was on the Yosemite Valley.
Be sure to have a pump somewhere nearby to lift the fuel oil from the tank cars delivering it to the storage tank.
I suspect something like this would be more likely seen on a shortline that didn’t own company-service tank cars, but didn’t use enough fuel for a large tank, and would have to pay demurrage to let a car sit. A larger railroad’s tank would probably have enough capacity for several carloads of fuel oil.
Hello the first 2 photos will be for the diesel fuel storage for my switchers. And the next 2 photos is the day tank for the bunker oil. Am I on the right track or is this wrong ? If it helps my layout is freelance but I want it to look like it could be from a real RR. Give me some input.Thanks Frank
Hey, that works, Frank! I like it! [:)][tup]
Tom
I adapted an old Bachmann tank car and some bridge trestle bents to make a holding tank for my N scale engine terminal.
Lee
Although my railroad is set in modern times, I’ve got a freelance belt line with several switchers assigned to places arount the city that don’t return to the yard for anything short of an overhaul. I wanted something more interesting operationally than just a fuel truck sitting on a road next to a siding. As such the railroad has 6 captive service old single dome tank cars. They are simply attached onto the locals and sent out to to the switchers, where they go and sit on a siding hooked up to a pump for fueling. Then when the car is empty, it’s unhooked, returned on a local to the yard, filled and sent back to the field.
It’s simple, easy and from a railroad perspective, more economical than owning or contracting a fleet of fuel trucks to go and feed their engines.
Cheers!
~METRO
I made a small MOW scene next to the depot on my N scale layout.
The speeder shed is an American Model Builder’s LaserKit, the ballast and tie bunker and the fuel rack were scratch built.
The tanks are metal castings ordered from Walthers, scale lumber was used for the supporting structure. The spout and manifold were made from brass rod, soldered together.
Hello Thanks guys. Nice job they look great. I see I still have a long way to go but lats half the fun. I do think the building should be bigger not sure how much room you would need for the pump. But it just looks to small now that I can see someone else’s. Would the bunker oil day tank need a pump house or is that fed by gravity. What are you guys use for hose? Thanks Frank
“borrowed” pics from the web…
When all else fails…
The Wlathers tank is foru pieces - two side and two end caps. It does assemble rather easily and with a little paint looks good in either transistion or modern.
Hello well it’s coming a long nicely but I think I need some warning signs or safety signs what would they look like or were can I find some some thing from the 40’s .Thanks Frank