RE: Ron # 43
  Hunslet

Perhaps the most unusual location for a railway/tramway cast iron water tank was at the former Government House at Sutton Forest, near Moss Vale. Now in use as an up-market B&B, the premises were open for public inspection in November 2011. Imagine my surprise when I located, half hidden around the back, what appears to be a standard railway cast iron water tank. It was not immediately obvious as to the source of the water for the tank, which was on top of a hill where the residence was located. Incidentally, there were great views across the valley to the Main Southern Line, where doubtless the State Governor would have been kept awake in the evenings with the night Mails and Expresses, not to forget heavily laden goods trains, climbing the local ruling grade of 1 in 66 up Exeter Bank!

Hunslet.

From:tramsdownunder@... [mailto:tramsdownunder@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Michael Giddey
Sent: Sunday, 22 November 2020 8:22 PM
To:tramsdownunder@...
Subject: Re: [TramsDownUnder] Ron # 43

The NSW Tramways were a branch of the NSW Railways for much of their formative years so it is not surprising that the various depot water tanks used standard railway cast iron tank components that could be assembled in various configurations depending on the capacity required. They were simply bolted together and supported on substantial steel columns tall enough to provide the water head required. Internally the tanks had cross rods to resist the outward pressure of the water and were not roofed. When we drained the Enfield tank prior to recovery we found that it was inhabited by plenty of small fish!

Sent from Outlook http://aka.ms/weboutlook

_____

From:tramsdownunder@... mailto:tramsdownunder@googlegroups.com tramsdownunder@... mailto:tramsdownunder@googlegroups.com > on behalf of Greg Sutherland gregsutherland@... mailto:gregsutherland@ozemail.com.au >
Sent: Sunday, 22 November 2020 5:22 AM
To:tramsdownunder@... mailto:tramsdownunder@googlegroups.com tramsdownunder@... mailto:tramsdownunder@googlegroups.com >
Subject: Re: [TramsDownUnder] Ron # 43

All Sydney Depots featured water tanks.

Perhaps the most elegant in Australia would have been the one at Fort Macquarie Depot (Opened10 August 1902) within the area currently occupied by the Sydney Opera House.

See https://www.google.com.au/search?q=%22fort+macquarie+depot%22 https://www.google.com.au/search?q=%22fort+macquarie+depot%22&lr=&as_qdr=all&sxsrf=ALeKk01lCaE04Hp4R2yNKDa2oLLh38vAGg:1606021162499&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=99H3XOaQ02U0eM%252C3XwPqNzNloSZnM%252C%252Fm%252F07wd9x&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kStx_IDvnLQVG_5sBDN240gF99m2Q&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiuvZGHr5XtAhXTyzgGHVvKAN0Q_B16BAgUEAI&biw=1366&bih=625 &lr=&as_qdr=all&sxsrf=ALeKk01lCaE04Hp4R2yNKDa2oLLh38vAGg:1606021162499&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=99H3XOaQ02U0eM%252C3XwPqNzNloSZnM%252C%252Fm%252F07wd9x&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kStx_IDvnLQVG_5sBDN240gF99m2Q&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiuvZGHr5XtAhXTyzgGHVvKAN0Q_B16BAgUEAI&biw=1366&bih=625

The first shot gives a good view of the location of the water tank and the fifth shot shows the exposed view of the tank just prior to final demolition.

The water tank from the Enfield Depot is currently in storage at the Sydney Tramway Museum and will ultimately be re-erected at Loftus as a water tank feature. STM currently has high pressure mains fed water sprinkler systems in major buildings.

Greg

On 21/11/2020 7:51 pm, Mal Rowe wrote:

On 21/11/2020 18:25, David Featherstone wrote:

Just one question - that water tank. What was the purpose for that? They had mains water, no doubt hoses for fire duties and gully traps -

Fire service supply. After the loss of the total VR tram fleet in 1906 all tram depots had high quality fire protection - and that meant having a backup to mains supply if possible.

See: http://www.hawthorntramdepot.org.au/papers/pmtt.htm for the P&MTT policy.

I assume that the tower at Brisbane's Ipswich Rd depot served a similar purpose - with a bit more elegance.

https://tdu.to/i/74964

Mal Rowe

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