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Air Tanks for Locomotives

May 22, 2006

It is very easy to scratchbuild a variety of inexpensive
air tanks in both riveted and welded styles. This project
will require just a few basic tools, some brass or plastic
tubing, brass wire and strap material plus water faucet
washers.
The faucet washers will be used for the tank ends, these
washers come in a wide variety of diameters with flat or
domed faces. The flat faced version can be used for the
riveted type tank end while the domed version is used in
the more modern welded style.
Any hardware store will have a good selection of faucet
washers. Most can be purchased individually but in some
cases you may have to buy a small variety pack that
contains several sizes. All of these washers have center
holes that will be about 3/16” in diameter which is too
large for our needs. The holes must be covered with small
caps before the washer is placed into the tube.
The first step is to determine what diameter and length of
tank you want to build. I suggest that you start out with a
3” long by ½” diameter piece of brass tube. Pick out the
type of washer, domed or flat type, and a diameter that is
close to fitting inside the tube. The washers can easily be
sanded down to fit inside the tube or, if needed, a thin
strip of strap material can be wrapped around the rim of
the washer.
Place a washer at each end of the tube 3/32” inside of the
edge of the tube. You can use a screw gently driven into
the washer center hole as a handle during this process. Run
a small bead of medium viscosity CA glue along the joint
between the washer rim and the inside of the tube. Make
center caps by using .010 or .015 styrene or brass sheet in
a paper punch.
Glue these to the center of the washers to cover up the
large holes. Once the CA has dried, the caps can be drilled
to accept 1/16” diameter brass rod “air line pipe”.
The tanks can be mounted to flat surfaces by using strap
material as slings at each end of the tank. Place the tank
on a flat surface and wrap the strap around the tank body.
Make a 90 degree bend at each end of the strap where it
touches the flat surface, cut the feet so that they are
about 1/8” long.
Your tank can now be painted and ready to use. The tanks
are easy to build and inexpensive; therefore, you can
experiment with different types and sizes. Additional
details are offered in the video “Scratchbuilding
Locomotive Detail Parts” - order one today.

Alan Olson