While doing researching for my Susquehanna, Bloomsburg & Berwick Railroad project I came across this old photo of a water tower (left image), which was taken circa 1920 in Eyers Grove, PA (between Millville and Bloomsburg Pennsulvania). Now it got me thinking that the shape of the water tower looked familiar. The middle image is from the 1960s at the Carroll Park & Western Railroad and the right is of the CP&W water tower present day. I’ve been told that the CP&W water tower came from a local railroad, in particular the PRR. If you compare the roof and support system of the first image and the other two they sure look similar. The big difference is that the 1920 water tower photo shows it with metal bands around that tank, where the CP&W photos show it with cables, otherwise they are pretty similar. Carroll started collecting stuff for his railroad in the mid-1950s, around the same time the steam was being switched to diesel power and would not of had a use for the water tower anymore. In photos of the CP&W there is no sign of the water tower prior to late 1962-early 1963. Carroll had a practice of acquiring his structures from local railroads and he had many connections in the local railroad industry. So is it possible that the tower came from Eyer’s Grove? What do you think? Anyone have any other info on the water tower?

Quite possible. It looks a lot like the Atlas HO model. As I recall, when that kit was first released about 55 years ago, a review (in MR?) said the structure was based on a PRR prototype in Indiana. It may conform to some PRR system standard.

Of course that's far from definitive information.

Tom

PRR water tanks--and, indeed, almost EVERY wooden water tank of this vintage, railroad or not--do a very good job of looking alike. I have managed to come across two PRR drawings for water tanks at specific locations, and they definitely took a standard design and just paired it to the specifics of the location.

Further, as I am to understand it, if a tank like this is not kept full of water, it "goes to pot" in rather short order--as I observed with a rooftop tank in downtown Baltimore a while back.

Although it's certainly possible the Carroll Park & Western tank came from Eyers Grove, it's almost just as possible it was built new, or relocated from a Bloomsburg factory sprinkler system.

There is one detail that tells me it is NOT the same tank... the tank bands. The Eyers Grove tank appears to have flat bands with barrel shaped castings riveted to their ends that are drawn together with lengths of threaded rod. The CP&W tank has bands made of round rod, with threaded ends, with castings that allow the ends of two rods to bypass for tightening. Since the tank bands are not perishable and are one of the major items one would salvage from a tank to be relocated (the other being the staves) I conclude it is NOT the same tank.

On the other hand, since the water tank at Eyers Grove would have been out of service for at least a couple of years, and probably longer, before Mr. Stahl acquired it for the CP&W, it's possible the original bands were so damaged by weather and rust as to be unusable. Thus he may have replaced them with something he thought would work and would afford the original appearance. I do not believe the tank was ever filled with water while at the CP&W. In fact, water for the engines was provided by a garden hose pulling water from a shallow well, which probably contributed substantially to the corrosion problems the boilers of both locomotives experienced.