How Steam Locomotives Rewater on the Move: The History of Water Troughs

In this video, we explore the fascinating history of how steam locomotives rewatered while on the move, using water troughs along the tracks. This innovative system was crucial for steam engines operating on the Great Central Railway and other British railways. Learn how water troughs worked to keep steam locomotives running long distances without the need for frequent stops.
Steam locomotives were a key part of the industrial revolution, and understanding the technology that powered them gives us a deeper appreciation of railway history. In this video, we delve into the engineering behind water troughs, their installation, and the vital role they played in ensuring trains could maintain speed on routes like the Great Central Railway.
Whether you’re passionate about local history, the evolution of transport, or the engineering marvels of steam trains, this video is perfect for railway enthusiasts in the UK. We’ll explore the relationship between transport geography and steam locomotive technology, offering insights into the railway infrastructure that shaped Britain’s industrial past.
If you’re interested in the legacy of the Great Central Railway or railway history in general, this video offers an in-depth look at one of the most intriguing aspects of steam train operations.
This was filmed on the disused section of Great Central Mainline between Killamarsh and Renishaw, in the section that ran alongside the Chesterfield Canal.
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[@WobblyRunner]

Link to the video on the ongoing restoration of the Chesterfield Canal kzbin.info/www/bejne/labboHqbgr-LrKc

[@nigelwilliams7403]

Back in the 70s I cycled out to look at where the old troughs were on the GWR mainline near Goring. A very flat section where all 4 tracks (up and down main, up and down relief lines) were served by long water troughs. There are many old pics of these in use. The troughs had all gone, but near the road bridge remained a large rectangular water tank supported on a brick base. I climbed the ladder and looked inside - there was a large ballcock assembly similar to a WC cistern. All other pipework had been removed so it was not possible to see exactly how the troughs were refilled. Possibly the water supply came from the River Thames nearby? Very clever railway engineering! Enjoyed your GCR video.

[@colvinator1611]

Your assumptions make a lot of sense indeed ! Very interesting and great history. Thanks a lot.

[@WobblyRunner]

Thanks very much 🙂👍

[@levelcrossing150]

Interesting video. I remember the troughs on the North Wales Coast line at Mochdre, Colwyn Bay and Aber. Many thanks.

[@WobblyRunner]

What did approx did the North Wales ones last until, roughly, do you know?

[@levelcrossing150]

​@@WobblyRunner Sorry, it looks like I have mistaken Mochdre for one of the others. A quick look at the internet has revealed some useful info on websites "Railway codes" and "Wikipedia" which have limited data. Between them they say that Flint was still in use 1958. Prestatyn closed 4/10/1965 and removed 1967. Aber installed 1871, still in use 1957 and removed 1967. Mochdre was removed in 1871 and was installed at Aber 1871. Basically they were made redundant in 1967 which was roughly the time steam disappeared off the North Wales Coast and around 12 months before steam ended. Hope this helps.

[@TheThreeOfUs5553]

Brilliant video Paul. Shared with the CCT Volunteers who are working on those very narrows every Thursday.

[@WobblyRunner]

Fantastic. Thanks very much. Next time I have a Thursday off, I will have a walk past to see what's going off 🙂👍

[@bobevens4310]

The two recesses are connected to a pipe that passes under the railway track and ended in a tank on the far side of the railway. Presumably there was some sort of pump to raise the water from there to a high level tank, so the water could fill the troughs more easily. As you noticed, there are two sets of grooves for stop planks. If you put in those on the Renishaw side, you could drain the canal to Killamarsh, and if you put in those on the Killamarsh side, you could drain the section to Renishaw. The stonework on the top held some sort of sluice that allowed water to pass through the culvert that you saw. We presume there were two recesses, so the railway could take water from whichever side was still full when canal maintenance was under way.

[@WobblyRunner]

Brilliant info Bob. I wasn't too far off then. A great piece of history left and it seems to have captured quite a lot of interest. I love remains like this and the story behind them.

[@bryansmith1920]

5:35 a narrow in air and water if I remember from my coledge days is a Venturi it induces a difference in pressure along the Venturi so can suck or blow air/fluid

[@dodgydruid]

Diesels also used the troughs, classes 37, 40 and 55 all had water trough shoes to replenish steam heating boilers. I remember watching a film about the water troughs on the Settle to Carlisle line and how this bloke had the cushiest job in that his job was to keep water heating equipment stoked up to warm the water going into the troughs from freezing up, was even entitled to a railway cottage and all he had to do was keep the fires burning day and nite with the occasional wood and coal wagon would turn up to replenish his bunkers.

[@WobblyRunner]

I'd certainly apply for that job 😄

[@darrenrogers7891]

Excellent as usual Paul..

[@WobblyRunner]

Thanks very much Darren.

[@john-pu5uy]

Thanks

[@WobblyRunner]

Thanks ever so much John. Glad you enjoyed the video 😊👍

[@christopherwright4573]

Good track bash i live near Northolt East Junction on the now Chiltern Line

[@jamesgilbart2672]

Great video. I marvel at the engineers who could build and maintain track that was absolutely level to allow a constant depth strip of water to stay in place for over a mile.

[@petereade4936]

Well when you think about it they had a water level as a reference.

[@andrewmaurer6267]

Quality as always top man 👍👍

[@WobblyRunner]

Cheers Andrew

[@BritishRedCoat2025]

Lovely Melton Concrete Works signal post there (purchased by the GCR from MCW, who were basically part of the Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway in Norfolk.

[@Pamudder]

In the US, these troughs were used by several railroads including the Pennsylvania Railroad. The troughs were heated by steam to permit year-round use and in the winter the first several cars would be thickly coated with ice, making railroaders’ work even more hazardous.

[@obelic71]

Troughs were a failure in the Netherlands due that boilerwater needed to be treated due to very high chalk content and brackisch ground water near the sea coast in the polders. No lack of water and relative short distances between major cities then in the UK and the US made them also not economical. Big watertowers or electic pumps fed treated boilerwater under presure into the locomotives during a scheduled stop. Also the scheduled stops were used to change for a fresh locomotive.

[@Carolb66]

My favourite part of the old GCR Paul, love thatbold sighal post so many artifacts & bridges in that area plus the other lines that were there & the live one of course. Handy having the canal fir a water source for the steam trains too, you could have found the remains of the water troughs Paul I'll go with that! Great explore Paul. 😊❤👍

[@WobblyRunner]

Thanks very much Carol it's the area that keeps on giving 😊

[@wetdogFBK]

There were water troughs inside the western end of Standedge Tunnel. They were supplied from a water tank which still survives at site of Diggle Station.

[@WobblyRunner]

There was indeed. I bet that was fun looking after those!!

[@eddherring4972]

Water must have been pumped to the holding tank so I’d imagine the waste away used flowing water to turn a pump which would do this similar to the operation of a watermill. The narrow and sluices would allow the canal to be dredged and for maintenance inspections with a terminal sluice option across the narrow and drainage sluices being selectable with the two side indents which would allow the pump to remain functional and for a section either side of the narrow to be drained. Presumably the culvert was in the centre of the narrow allowing water to flow into the overflow from either side.

[@paulbrown3974]

What a fascinating piece of archive film. You have included the best pictures of a Francis Webb LNWR compound I have ever seen and it is of the most famous of them all No 1304 Jeanie Deans. You can clearly see the outside high pressure cylinder and the valve rod of the Joys valve gear operating and the large inside cylinder at the front.

[@john-pu5uy]

Great 1 .. enjoyed that.. cheers

[@mikaelhedman4514]

Hi Paul, Mike from Sweden here, it was 20 years ago that I was working on steam locomotives but I saw straight away what was there, it's one of the tools used to clean out the fire box on the locomotive, I'm not sure but if you contact the people who work on the steam locomotive at GCR, I think they are interested in getting it down to one of their museum exhibits. Thanks for your features very interesting story.

[@WobblyRunner]

Thanks very much Mike. I'll see if they would be interested.

[@simonmcowan6874]

Wonderful post, thank you, greetings from a brick collector.

[@WobblyRunner]

Cheers Simon. Seen some great variety of bricks over the years. Always interests me what writing and brick work stamps are on them 👍

[@tobycaunt9257]

6:47 Clinker shovel aka bent dart

[@tpaul2866]

I bet sleeper changing was fun under troughed sections. You can always tell a troughed section when line inspecting as your socks get wet.😂

[@WobblyRunner]

😄 wellies at the ready

[@ceanothus_bluemoon]

How fascinating! Love the lone signal post, the lock remains, culvert and possible water trough mechanism. I wonder how deep those recesses in the lock wall go? Must say the robin coming in bold as brass was a delight. Away from gardens, pickings must be very slim at this time of year. Will this part of the canal be restored do you know?

[@WobblyRunner]

Yeah this section between renishaw and Killamarsh will hopefully get restored. Will be interesting to see it.

[@maestromanification]

Interesting Paul, I had no idea they were there. . I wonder if there was any kind of filters. I think those cut outs are refuges for swimmers 😂

[@WobblyRunner]

Hahaha swimmers 😂 I've heard stories that fish were often found in the water troughs that made their way in from the canal. Very odd.

[@paulcharlton4788]

Hi Paul, KB Co Ltd is the Killamarsh Brick Company Limited. It's unlikely that water for the railway came from the canal as they were bitter competitors.

[@jameslongden3540]

The gcr owned the chesterfield canal thus no competition

[@WobblyRunner]

Unless Im wrong the MS&LR owned the Chesterfield Canal at the time it was rerouted down the side of the railway. They were seemingly running it into the ground though.

[@paulcharlton4788]

@@WobblyRunner Fair one, i didn't know that!

[@paulgammidge-jefferson9536]

There would be a filtration system. So maybe the least we're part of that.

[@WobblyRunner]

Great suggestion. I'd not even thought of that. 👍

[@lucysheffield656]

I believe class 40s also had water collectors hence their nickname "buckets".

[@WobblyRunner]

Ahhh. I'd never heard that nickname 🙂 everyday's a school day

[@daystatesniper01]

GCR water troughs ,Swithland ressie watch this space

[@WobblyRunner]

Oooooh thats interesting. Hope that comes off.

[@daystatesniper01]

@@WobblyRunner You heard it from me first lol

[@petersimms4982]

Lock gate ?.😮

[@WobblyRunner]

No locks in this location. Just the narrows and stop board slots.

[@AussiePom]

Picking up water from the troughs was an exacting task for the fireman and there were running in boards indicating the start of the trough where the fireman lowered the tender scoop and if done right he could get a full tender of water in seconds and as it approached being full he had to wind the scoop up quickly. If he didn't then there would be a tsunami of water coming down through the coal space onto the footplate bringing the coal with it. There was also a risk of smashing the tender scoop on the end of the trough. If you were seated in the first coach you kept the window closed because often the spray of water would give the first coach a shower The area around the water troughs was constantly wet and as soon as a train had passed over the troughs they were automatically refilled ready for the next train. The refilling was done very gently with a long thin pipe right along the length of the outside edge of the trough so as not to waste water.

[@WobblyRunner]

👍 would love to see one in action

[@AussiePom]

I saw a Telerail video of water troughs in action on the ECML and it had a bridge at the end of the trough and engine after engine just got the scoop up in time and a wall of water smashed time after time into the bridge so any trainspotters would have gotten thoroughly soaked.

[@srfurley]

@@WobblyRunner Watch the BTF film ‘Elizabethan Express’.

[@johnsometimesoffandsometim8933]

Rams bottom wonder what he did during the day. Another good one sir keep em comming

[@WobblyRunner]

😂 cheers John.

[@sandgrownun66]

Ramsbottom

[@nounoufriend1442]

Would have been good route for HS2

[@WobblyRunner]

I believe the original alignment for the eastern leg did share some of this trackbed, before the plans were moved further east.

[@nounoufriend1442]

@@WobblyRunner Think there has been lots of development (houses , industrial ) on the trackbed shame really as it would suit high speed trains very well . In France if a line is closed the alignment cannot be built on leaving it available for future use if needed

[@andreacoates5732]

Thanks

[@WobblyRunner]

Thanks very much Andrea 👍🙂