Water supplies

[Andrew Campbell]

GW country stations needed water for lavatories and other vital things - like tea - not to mention the occasional water tower. Before the days of mains supplies it must have come from wells. Presumably it was pumped from those wells to water tanks in station buildings. Logically there must therefore have been pumps and presumably those were steam-powered. But where were the pumps? In pump-houses? I don't recall seeing photographs of pre-WW1 stations with separate pump-houses in shot, but then I've led a sheltered life. Where were they?

Or was it the task of some hard-working lad porter to fill the station tank by hand pump, first thing every morning?

Does anyone have any thoughts?

 

[Dog Star]

"Personal stories" type books published in 70s and 80s often had references to the branch loco pumping water overnight. Now that works only when there is an engine shed at a station, otherwise the station would need one of these options:-

* mains water;
* pump house with some sort of engine , probably a gas or barn engine;
* hand pump within the station buildings.

All would be possible from circa 1900.

 

[Dikitriki]

I believe the SVR still has at least one intermediate station on a spring fed supply.

 

[JimG]

I know that in Scotland some stations had their water piped from a stream on the hillside above the station which would have given a head of water to provide for filling tanks. It could be that GWR stations in hilly areas might have been able to do the same.

Jim.

 

[jamiepage]

According to David Bartholomew's book, Weyhill (M&SWJR) had a horse turned capstan which pumped water into a tank, this remaining in use until after the second world war.
The tank was a substantial structure of 5000 gallon capacity, perhaps mainly for servicing livestock requirements in association with the annual Weyhill Fair week; the station's domestic requirements would have been much more modest so topping up presumably a fairly infrequent affair.

 

[Andrew Campbell]

Many thanks, everyone. Photos and maps of Camerton (nr. Bath) show a well immediately behind the station building but don't indicate how the water got into the station water tank. Hallatrow (not far away from Camerton) had a large water tank served a pump house at the other end of the station. I think I'm getting the impression that there wasn't one blindingly obvious method in general use.

 

[jamiepage]

Adding a little to the Weyhill set up, notes I made at Kew a few years ago from surveys at grouping confirms the GWR inherited 'well, pump & horse gear'. Also, the water tank was measured at 12ft x 12ft x 5ft 6in.
I have a period map somewhere which shows the capstan but have never seen a photo. of it. The tank survived until closure.

 

[TrevorP]

Lamboure had a pump house where the branch engine was periodically required to supply steam. 'Castles to Warships' by Jack Gardner has a first hand account of this.