4 - Water tanks

Water tanks, which are still visible in some stations, were an indispensable feature of railway systems during the times of steam. They were located in locomotive depots and strategic stations to provide water for the engines. They were generally supplied with local water.

Three tanks were necessary in Vilanova due to the large number of steam engines requiring water. They were built in harmony with the rest of the buildings, with a modernist industrial design, that was similar to that of many other buildings from that time in Catalonia. Two of them are metallic and were used as supply tanks, since the local water supply could be insufficient to provide the necessary amount of water. The third one, located in the centre, has a singular octagonal structure, since the bottom part housed a water-treatment system that reduced the accumulation of limescale in the locomotives’ boilers, which was one of the problems with steam locomotives that frequently resulted in costly repairs. In 2006, this tank was named Espai Gumà, in memory of the main promoter of the railway’s arrival in Vilanova i la Geltrú, Francesc Gumà i Ferràn, on its 125th anniversary. Its interior features a timeline of this epic feat and some elements from its origins.