The Home Machinist!

I'm close to steam testing my Shay project, but want to rig up a temporary water tank to feed the injectors e.t.c. what types of tanks have been quickly rigged up to test?

-Jlakes85

5 Gallon bucket with a fitting at the bottom

I second the 5 falling bucket. That’s what I’ve done with my shay, only I just weighted a hose to the bottom.

For my State boiler test I used a green plastic tub sitting behind the loco, and clear hoses to the injector.
Check out the pic. It worked!
The loco was not done yet, so I did not run it on the rails this way.
~RN

I built a quick brass tank complete with side mounted axle pump by pass pump. Also, a temporary emergency hand pump fed from the tank to feed the boiler. It also fed the injector. Also, you can see the boiler was not even jacketed, but it ran! Such fun! I ran this way until I got my "real" side tanks finished. Of course, these required all new piping!! David

Awesome. Thanks for the recommendations. I've read that many people use an automotive fuel filter in the injector water feed line. I there a specific type (small engine?) that's easier to design around than others?

I bought a 2 gallon metal gasoline can and soft soldered lines into the sides near the bottom of it for water to the pumps the first few times I ran my Chloe locomotive back in 1989. It kind-of freaked people out to see a steamer running around with a gasoline can on the rear where the tank should be. I then painted it flat black so that people wouldn't freak out about it, thinking I was about to blow everyone up. It did keep the track a lot more clear...

Don't even know where you would buy a new metal gas can today.

Our preferred is a 1 gallon (3.78L) windshield washer fluid container. Or a milk jug.

Hudson Sept 1989(2) by Peach James, on Flickr

That's in 3.5" gauge or 2" scale traction engines...

Though I think the last one was a tim horton's metal coffee tin,

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1j7qok5d27U[/youtube]

Here is the temporary tank I welded up in the spring of 1980 to get my Allen Ten-Wheeler on the track.
It's still in use today, every time I hydro a boiler.

Hi All,

Thanks for the suggestions, this gives me plenty of ideas.

Marty, how thick is the material you used on your tank?

You can use anything for a temporary tank, as long as it will hold water....we had a guy at our track with a new engine,that strapped an ice chest to a flat car...

jlakes85 wrote: ↑Wed Sep 19, 2018 8:02 am Hi All,

Thanks for the suggestions, this gives me plenty of ideas.

Marty, how thick is the material you used on your tank?

16 gauge