N scale rooftop water tanks

[boisecity]

Does anyone know where I can buy rooftop water tanks for N scale?

Walthers has a rooftop details kit but it doesn't include a water tank.  The DPM Woods Furniture kit includes a water tank but I haven't been successful in tracking down a supplier that sells them separately.

Any suggestions would be appreciated, thanks

John F

[nkalanaga]

No ideas, but depending on the style, it might be just as easy to make one.

[peteski]

Alloy Forms (looks like they got bought out by Scale Structures Ltd.) used to offer N scale rooftop water-tank (white metal casting) .  I found it, but only the H0 version.
http://scale-structures.com/ss2475
That listing mentions: Formerly Alloy Forms model H-2034. Maybe the N scale version was N-2034?  Maybe do a Google search for it.

[thomasjmdavis]

In the old days, when a "kit" building was a box of basswood sheets and strips and a set of instructions, I had a couple of kits where the roof top tank was a bit of dowel rod that you wrapped with a small piece of thin, scribed wood sheet, and then (IIRC) wrapped around little pieces of fish line for banding. 

The DPM detail parts for Woods Furniture do occasionally show up on eBay, and there are several other kits (such as some of the Walthers industrial buildings https://www.walthers.com/hardwood-furniture-company-kit-6-3-8-x-7-3-16-quot-15-9-x-17-9cm ) out there that include a roof top tank. 

[nstars]

The N Scale Architect has them.

http://thenarch.com/products/roof-top-water-tank-kits-n

Marc

[casmmr]

Try your hand at scratch building these, a 3/4" pvc pipe for the tank, just scribe wood lines on it, the top cone shaped roof is the hard part, use .010 plastic sheet from evergreen and layout your circle and with practice you will soon have the roof, the platform and legs are simple to make from evergreen straight pieces.  Try it and show us the result.  Do not get discouraged if the first results are not good enough for fore ground display.  Just keep at it and you will do fine.

[babbo_enzo]

Yes, it's a simple piece to scratch from raw materials, I can confirm, but in case you like to work on KITS:
http://modeltechstudios.com/hoscalewatertank3packprefinishedusebuildingsideorrooftop-1.aspx


http://thenarch.com/products/roof-top-water-tank-kits-n


http://www.micronart.com/N2041_Rooftop_Watertank.html


Google is your friend, never forget

[nkalanaga]

Do you specifically want a WOOD water tank, or just a "rooftop water tank"?  If all you want is the water tank, a metal one would be even easier.  Plastic tubing, a roll-your-own conical end, or maybe one of Plastructs cast tank ends, and something for it to sit on.

Rooftop water tanks seem to have been rare in the parts of the Northwest I'm familiar with.  Apparently good municipal water service arrived about the same time as multi-story buildings. 

[boisecity]

Thanks Guys for all your suggestions which have been very helpful, I might even try making one myself

John F

[Roger Holmes]

I grew up in Chicagoland and every old factory had one on the roof.  If I recall correctly their purpose was to provide a supply of gravity fed water for the factory's fire sprinkler system--unlike the RR watertank on Pettycoat Junction which was a far better use of a water tank.  You 60+ year old guys get the reference.

[nkalanaga]

Roger:  That's the reason I've always heard for the rooftop tanks as well. 

I don't know how many, if any, railroad water tanks were used as swimming pools.  They would seem to be a little inconvenient, especially when getting out.  But, yes, I did get the reference...

[peteski]

But, yes, I did get the reference...

So did I - but I've only seen it in re-runs.  Lovely creatures. . .   

[cfritschle]

So did I - but I've only seen it in re-runs.  Lovely creatures. . .   

I got to meet one of those lovely creatures at the National N Scale Convention in Portland in 2009.  She went on the train ride with us during the Portland Zoo tour. 

Carter