MIDLAND RAILWAY
WATER TOWER
| Manufacturer | Midland Railway (Northern Counties Committee) |
| Built | 1907 |
| Company | MR NCC |
| Preservation | 1966 |
The water tower was built by the Midland Railway (Northern Counties Committee) in 1907 to serve the new locomotive shed.
The tower is of Belfast brick and on top of it sits the original 4,500 gallon (20,457 litre) cast iron tank which was made by James Moore & Sons Ltd, Engineers, Belfast, in 1906. The tower was ready for use in 1907.
The tank stands 120 feet (36.7 metres) above rail level and measures 11 feet 8 inches by 10 feet 9 inches and is 5 feet 6 inches high (3.6m x 3.3m x 1.7m).
At first, a windmill pumped water up to the tank from a stream crossing under the front of the engine shed. The windmill was replaced by electric pumps during World War 2 when the shed was reopened after the blitzes on Belfast in 1941. The RPSI installed new electric pumps about 1967 and a new external feed pipe was added in 2016. The rectangular concrete base for the windmill survived and is now buried in the foundations of the Dunleath Workshop.
A gauge indicating the water level can be seen above the tank.
The water tower still feeds the water column to the left of the heavy lift area.
