Maam Road/Bóthar an Mháma

[Mol_PMB]

Another tip for square open-topped water tanks - they usually had internal bracing to resist the water pressure pushing the sides outwards. 

Although not Irish, this webpage shows some typical examples:

NSW Railways Infrastructure and Operations: What’s on the inside (of those water tanks)

Tricky to model, and you can get away without it by either modelling the tank brim-full (which it normally would be except when a loco has visited recently), or by roofing the tank (which was sometimes done to prevent leaves accumulating inside).

 

Edit: here's a link to an IRRS photo which shows the bracing inside an Irish water tank:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/53511430534

Enlarged extract, it's not the clearest view but a rare angle:

There appears to be a diagonal in the horizontal plane at the top of each corner, and diagonals in the vertical plane at intervals along each side (which could be hidden by water). Perhaps also a tiebar across the middle?

You can also see the valve operating lever and counterweight.

 

Edited December 20, 2025 by Mol_PMB
Irish image link added

[jhb171achill]

8 hours ago, Irishrailwayman said:

Just a note to file on a suggested painting scheme for the water towers. First coat all exposed wood with Rustins grey primer/undercoat. Next "dry brush" with Humbrol #64 Light Grey matt (ie use small amounts of paint on a flat brush wiping it almost dry on kitchen paper before skimming across the "stones" avoiding flooding the "mortar" lines between). Pick out individual stones with Humbrol #27 Sea Grey matt. For woodwork, windows and door use Humbrol #80 Grass Green matt. For "yellow" brickwork lightly paint to avoid flooding the "mortar" lines with RailMatch #606 GWR Light Stone (Humbrol #121 Pale Stone matt would work either). For red brickwork use sparingly 50:50 mix of Humbrol #73 Wine matt and #62 Leather matt.

For the 3-D printed water tank streak sides with Humbrol # 113 Rust; insert clear plastic to fit, paint underneath with Humbrol #80 Grass Green matt and streak with Humbrol #113 Rust matt (could also paint blue/brown as colour in reality would be dictated by overhead light conditions). I used a section of 5 mm plastic tubing and some heat-shrink tubing to represent the water outlet leather bag which flops in to the receiving steam engine water intake point. I fitted small sections of clear plastic behind the windows with DeLuxe Glue& Glaze as glazing.

I’m going to print that off as a guide!!

[Mol_PMB]

I've just been trawling through the IRRS photo archive looking for something else, and found some photos of Dun Laoghaire in the 1950s, where a water tank of this type had been painted as an advertisement for Kingston Shirts. So if you fancied a brighter paint scheme on your water tower then there's a good precedent.

The IRRS photos show some good closeups of parts of the lettering:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/53507111269

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/53505868742

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/53507068729

Ernie's views are more distant but show it in glorious colour - bright orange with black and white lettering:

 

[Irishrailwayman]

On 17/12/2025 at 10:11 AM, Mol_PMB said:

How is the distinctive shape of the tank itself made? Presumably that isn't laser-cut?

For the stonework, you could enhance the appearance by dabbing Matte Medium onto some of the stones. That would better represent the rougher stone typical of these water towers. It doesn't take long and doesn't require any finesse - just blob it on and leave to dry, then paint over it. I did that on my laser-cut mill building.

I have tried some Icon Modelling Paste to raise the blocks a little and am experimenting with dilute Polyfilla to achieve the same...

Edited December 31, 2025 by Irishrailwayman

[Irishrailwayman]

Other progress on "Maam Road/Bóthar an Mhama" includes bi-lingual signage (thanks to Des Sullivan at Studio Scale Models), brake vans and corrugated open wagon (thanks to Enda Byrne at CK Prints), water column by Skytrex and water tower in place on layout (thanks to Redmond O'Hanlon). A truely collaborative project with creative craftsmen. The signage has the Irish language version in the "sean-cló" or old irish writing style with "H"s replaced by a dot over the previous letter.

Edited December 31, 2025 by Irishrailwayman

[Mol_PMB]

18 minutes ago, Irishrailwayman said:

I have tried some Icon Modelling Paste to raise the blocks a little and am experimenting with dilute Polfilla to achieve the same...

Looks great! It doesn’t take much but makes a massive difference. Good work. 

[Patrick Davey]

Water tower looks superb!  As indeed does the whole layout!  Very authentic looking station nameboard

[TimO]

@Irishrailwayman I saw the water tower with the red brick at Bray on 21 Dec and it looks the job. Redmond is doing very accurate laser cutting. Seeing the photo of the top of an actual tank you can see that these were actually sectional tanks that were bolted together. You can just about make out the bolted vertical flanges on the inside. The corners were a separate piece also bolted into place. These might be too thin to 3D print effectively but a thin strip of styrene or brass would work. This would also give you the locations for the corner bracing strips. Large water and sprinkler water tanks inside the towers of mill buildings were similarly constructed. 

[jhb171achill]

The apparently rusted finish on the water tank itself is most realistic. Many were painted black, others with galvanised (silver) paint, and in earlier CIE times green (naturally)! This captures a black one perfectly!

[Irishrailwayman]

23 hours ago, jhb171achill said:

The apparently rusted finish on the water tank itself is most realistic. Many were painted black, others with galvanised (silver) paint, and in earlier CIE times green (naturally)! This captures a black one perfectly!

Thank you. The 3-D printing left a slightly roughened surface similar to rust pitting. I lightly brushed on Humbrol Matt #113 "Rust" using a flat brush to provide the finish seen here. This is a useful paint for general weathering.

[Irishrailwayman]

I have assembled and painted another of Redmond O'Hanlon's water tower kits - a rectangular one based on that still at Gorey station. This time I used diluted Polyfilla as a means to bulk up the individual stones:

 

 

Edited January 5 by Irishrailwayman

[Mol_PMB]

Excellent!

[Irishrailwayman]

Moving on from the water tower, I have been trying some SouthEast Finecast Random Stone plasticard and polyfilla to make rough walls for the front section of Maam Road. This is with a view to hiding the GWR spear point fencing and also to ruggedise the presentation for the West of Ireland location. Some photos of the results:

 

Edited January 10 by Irishrailwayman

[Irishrailwayman]

A couple of views around "Maam Road" before we progress with development of Irish outline stone signal cabin, station building and goods shed to the same standard as the water tower.

 

 

[Irishrailwayman]

While the water tower providing facilities at one end of the platform has been completed, I have modified a Skytrex kit to make a water column for the other end of the platform. On the prototype, these were often insulated with straw as depicted in a number of photos in a variety of books on the Irish railway network. This prevented the possibility of frost freezing the flow of water vital for the safe operation of steam locomotives. For the model I have used hairy string to reproduce the straw!

[Irishrailwayman]

Redmond O'Hanlon has now designed an O gauge kit for a signal cabin based on the design used at the Sligo, Leitrim and Northern Counties Railway. I have assembled the kit and finished/painted it in similar livery to the earlier water tower kit. I have added Peco interiour detailing and lighting. I have some detailing below the stairs to finish. This finished building will be on display at the next Bray meeting on 15th March 2026.

 

 

[Mol_PMB]

That's superb! lovely work.

[raymurph]

As well as the superb buildings the backdrops look soooo good on your layout, excellent work.

[Irishrailwayman]

I have developed a demonstration model of the Manorhamilton Signal Cabin to show the various stages of assembling/painting the kit. This will be on view at the next Bray Train & Model Fair on Sunday 15th march 2026 where the kit will also be available from Redmond O'Hanlon.

[Mol_PMB]

That's very nice indeed and useful to show the different stages of construction, detailing and painting. Good work!