Water stop
Encyclopedia
A water stop or water station on a railroad
is a place where train
s stop to replenish water
. The stopping of the train itself is also referred to as "water stop". The term originates from the times of steam engine
s, when large amounts of water were essential. In these times they were also called wood and water stops or coal and water stops, since it was reasonable to replenish engines with fuel
as well.
In early times, water stops were necessary every 7–10 miles and consumed much travel time. With the introduction of tenders, trains could run 100–150 miles (160–240 km) without a refill.
To accumulate the water, water stops employed water tank
s, water tower
s and tank pond
s.
In the United States
, many water stops along new railways evolved into new settlements. When a train stopped for water and positioned by a water tower, the boilerman swung out the spigot arm over the water tender and "jerked" the chain to begin watering. This gave rise to a 19th century slang term "Jerkwater town" for towns too insignificant to have a regular train station
. The variants were "Jerktown" and "Jerkwater", which are still in use in the meaning of "insignificant", although today "Jerktown" is rather understood as a "town of jerks".
The water was initially pumped by windmill
s, watermill
s, or by hand pump
s often by the train crew themselves. Later, small steam and gasoline engines were used.
Isolated water stops were among favorite ambush
places for train robbers.
As the U.S. railroad system expanded, large numbers of tank ponds were built by damming various small creeks
that intersected the tracks in order to provide water for water stops. Largemouth bass
were often stocked in tank ponds, see "Bass fishing
" for more.
With the replacement of steam engines by diesel locomotive
s many of them, especially in deserted areas, have become ghost town
s. The town of Coalinga, California
gets its name from the original coal stop at this location, Coaling A.
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
is a place where train
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
s stop to replenish water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
. The stopping of the train itself is also referred to as "water stop". The term originates from the times of steam engine
Steam engine
A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid.Steam engines are external combustion engines, where the working fluid is separate from the combustion products. Non-combustion heat sources such as solar power, nuclear power or geothermal energy may be...
s, when large amounts of water were essential. In these times they were also called wood and water stops or coal and water stops, since it was reasonable to replenish engines with fuel
Fuel
Fuel is any material that stores energy that can later be extracted to perform mechanical work in a controlled manner. Most fuels used by humans undergo combustion, a redox reaction in which a combustible substance releases energy after it ignites and reacts with the oxygen in the air...
as well.
United States
To accumulate the water, water stops employed water tank
Water tank
A Water tank is a container for storing water. The need for a water tank is as old as civilized man, providing storage of water for drinking water, irrigation agriculture, fire suppression, agricultural farming, both for plants and livestock, chemical manufacturing, food preparation as well as many...
s, water tower
Water tower
A water tower or elevated water tower is a large elevated drinking water storage container constructed to hold a water supply at a height sufficient to pressurize a water distribution system....
s and tank pond
Tank Pond
Tank Pond is a lake of Cape Breton Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia, Canada.-References:*...
s.
In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, many water stops along new railways evolved into new settlements. When a train stopped for water and positioned by a water tower, the boilerman swung out the spigot arm over the water tender and "jerked" the chain to begin watering. This gave rise to a 19th century slang term "Jerkwater town" for towns too insignificant to have a regular train station
Train station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
. The variants were "Jerktown" and "Jerkwater", which are still in use in the meaning of "insignificant", although today "Jerktown" is rather understood as a "town of jerks".
The water was initially pumped by windmill
Windmill
A windmill is a machine which converts the energy of wind into rotational energy by means of vanes called sails or blades. Originally windmills were developed for milling grain for food production. In the course of history the windmill was adapted to many other industrial uses. An important...
s, watermill
Watermill
A watermill is a structure that uses a water wheel or turbine to drive a mechanical process such as flour, lumber or textile production, or metal shaping .- History :...
s, or by hand pump
Hand pump
Hand pumps are manually operated pumps; they use human power and mechanical advantage to move fluids or air from one place to another. They are widely used in every country in the world for a variety of industrial, marine, irrigation and leisure activities...
s often by the train crew themselves. Later, small steam and gasoline engines were used.
Isolated water stops were among favorite ambush
Ambush
An ambush is a long-established military tactic, in which the aggressors take advantage of concealment and the element of surprise to attack an unsuspecting enemy from concealed positions, such as among dense underbrush or behind hilltops...
places for train robbers.
As the U.S. railroad system expanded, large numbers of tank ponds were built by damming various small creeks
Stream
A stream is a body of water with a current, confined within a bed and stream banks. Depending on its locale or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to as a branch, brook, beck, burn, creek, "crick", gill , kill, lick, rill, river, syke, bayou, rivulet, streamage, wash, run or...
that intersected the tracks in order to provide water for water stops. Largemouth bass
Largemouth bass
The largemouth bass is a species of black bass in the sunfish family native to North America . It is also known as widemouth bass, bigmouth, black bass, bucketmouth, Potter's fish, Florida bass, Florida largemouth, green bass, green trout, linesides, Oswego bass, southern largemouth...
were often stocked in tank ponds, see "Bass fishing
Bass fishing
Bass fishing is the activity of angling for the North American gamefish known colloquially as the black bass. There are numerous black bass species considered as gamefish in North America, including largemouth bass , smallmouth bass , Spotted bass or Kentucky bass , Guadalupe bass Bass fishing is...
" for more.
With the replacement of steam engines by diesel locomotive
Diesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
s many of them, especially in deserted areas, have become ghost town
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
s. The town of Coalinga, California
Coalinga, California
Coalinga is a city in Fresno County, California. The population was 13,380 at the 2010 census, up from 11,668 at the 2000 census. It is the site of both Pleasant Valley State Prison and Coalinga State Hospital. Coalinga is located southwest of Fresno, at an elevation of 673 feet .-Early...
gets its name from the original coal stop at this location, Coaling A.