Water Tower

The tower, alongside the engine shed, was constructed as part of the development of the Northern Counties Committee’s Excursion Station between 1903 and 1907.

It was built to serve the engine shed and is constructed with Belfast brick. 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 1907.

The tank stands 120 feet (36.7m) above rail level and measures 11 feet 8 inches by 10 feet 9 inches and is 5ft 6 inches tall (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 locomotive shed. The windmill was replaced by electric pumps during World War 2 when the locomotive shed was reopened after the blitzes on Belfast in 1941. The rectangular concrete base for the windmill survived and is now buried in the foundations of the Dunleath Workshop, close to where the furnace now stands. The RPSI installed new electric pumps about 1967 but a new mains pressure feed was added in 2016.

A gauge indicating water level can be seen above the tank.

The water tower still feeds the water column on the shed apron to the left of the heavy lift area.