Walthers Cornerstone HO Scale Tall Oil Storage Tank with Berm Kit - 933-3168

Walthers Cornerstone HO Scale Tall Oil Storage Tank with Berm Kit 933-3168 adds a realistic large-capacity industrial storage facility to HO scale model railroad layouts. Based on a welded steel petroleum storage tank design, this detailed structure kit recreates the type of aboveground tank found at oil refineries, petroleum distribution terminals, chemical plants, waterfront industries, and railroad maintenance facilities.

The kit builds a tall cylindrical storage tank representing a 500,000-gallon prototype capacity. The completed tank measures 6 inches in diameter and 6-1/4 inches tall (15.2 x 15.9 cm). It includes a molded tank stairway, modular containment berm sections, berm crossover stairways, and decals for completing a realistic industrial storage scene.

The assembled containment berm arrangement measures 12-1/2 x 12-1/2 inches (31.8 x 31.8 cm). Its modular construction allows modelers to combine compatible tall and wide Walthers Cornerstone storage tanks into a larger tank farm, making the kit especially useful for layouts with extensive petroleum or chemical industries.

Explore HO Scale Walthers Cornerstone structures and the complete Walthers Cornerstone collection for additional model railroad buildings, industrial facilities, and scenery projects.

Build a Realistic HO Scale Oil Storage Tank Farm

Large aboveground storage tanks are among the most recognizable features of petroleum refineries and industrial distribution facilities. They provide the capacity needed to store liquids before further processing, transfer, or shipment to customers.

The Walthers Cornerstone Tall Oil Storage Tank with Berm recreates this type of industrial equipment with a substantial cylindrical tank and a surrounding containment area. Its height makes it a prominent feature in refinery districts, industrial yards, and waterfront scenes.

The prototype represented by the kit is based on a storage tank in the Jones Island industrial area of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Its welded steel plate construction reflects tank designs built from the 1940s onward, making the model especially appropriate for transition-era, diesel-era, and modern railroad layouts.

For a refinery complex, the tank can represent storage associated with petroleum processing operations. For a regional distribution terminal, it can suggest the storage of products awaiting transfer to tanker trucks or other transportation systems.

For a chemical or manufacturing plant, the tank can represent a large liquid storage facility, with its precise use established by the surrounding structures and industrial scenery.

For a railroad maintenance facility, the tank can represent fuel or oil storage associated with servicing locomotives and other railroad equipment.

Browse Walthers Cornerstone industrial structures for additional buildings and equipment that can complement a large storage tank installation.

Tall Oil Storage Tank with Berm Kit Features and Dimensions

The Walthers Cornerstone HO Scale Tall Oil Storage Tank with Berm Kit includes the following manufacturer-confirmed features:

• 500,000-gallon prototype storage tank: Recreates a large-capacity aboveground industrial liquid storage tank.
• Tall cylindrical tank design: Based on welded steel plate storage tanks associated with the mid-twentieth century and later.
• Molded tank stairway: Fits the curved tank body and adds recognizable maintenance access detail.
• Modular retention berms: Create a surrounding containment area and can be arranged with compatible Walthers Cornerstone tank kits.
• Berm crossover stairways: Provide detailed access points across the containment berm.
• Included decals: Allow additional finishing and identification details.
• Expandable tank farm design: Compatible with additional tall or wide oil storage tank kits, sold separately.
• Styrene plastic construction: Designed for assembly, painting, and weathering.

Completed tank dimensions: 6 inches diameter x 6-1/4 inches tall (15.2 x 15.9 cm).

Retention berm dimensions: 12-1/2 x 12-1/2 inches (31.8 x 31.8 cm).

Represented prototype capacity: 500,000 gallons.

Scale: HO Scale, 1:87.

Prototype construction period: 1940s onward.

Manufacturer item number: 933-3168.

The dimensions of the tank and berm are listed separately because the containment area occupies considerably more space than the cylindrical tank alone. Allow room for the complete berm arrangement and any additional roads, piping, buildings, or industrial scenery planned around the installation.

Recreate Petroleum Refinery Storage Facilities

Oil refineries rely on storage tanks to hold petroleum and related products during different stages of processing and distribution. A group of large tanks can become one of the defining visual features of a refinery district.

The Tall Oil Storage Tank with Berm is especially useful for developing a tank farm near the Walthers Cornerstone United Petroleum Refining structures, sold separately.

For a compact refinery scene, a single tall tank can provide the appearance of significant industrial storage capacity without requiring an extensive group of structures.

For a larger refinery complex, multiple tanks can be positioned together to suggest a dedicated storage area. Different tank heights and diameters help create a more convincing industrial skyline.

The included containment berm establishes a recognizable separation between the storage tank and the surrounding property. Additional separately purchased industrial piping, roads, and equipment can help connect the tank visually to nearby refinery buildings.

For a railroad-served refinery, storage tanks can stand near separate tank car loading and unloading tracks. This arrangement helps suggest the movement of petroleum products through the industrial complex.

Explore Walthers Cornerstone heavy industry for additional large industrial structures that can complement a refinery or petroleum processing scene.

Expand Your Tank Farm with Modular Containment Berms

One of the most useful features of kit 933-3168 is its modular containment berm system. The included sections can be used to create a containment area around the tall storage tank or combined with compatible sections from other Walthers Cornerstone oil storage tank kits.

This flexibility allows modelers to develop tank farms of different sizes and arrangements based on the available layout space.

The Walthers Cornerstone HO Scale Wide Oil Storage Tank with Berm Kit 933-3167, sold separately, is a natural companion. The wide tank represents a 575,000-gallon prototype capacity and has a different height and diameter, adding variety to a larger storage facility.

Combining tall and wide tanks creates a more realistic industrial appearance than using identical tanks throughout the scene. The different tank profiles can suggest separate storage requirements or facilities built at different times.

The modular berms allow compatible tank kits to be integrated into a larger containment arrangement. Modelers should plan the layout of the berm sections before permanent assembly to determine the most suitable configuration.

The included berm crossover stairways add recognizable access details to the containment area. These structures help communicate the purpose of the berm and provide additional visual interest around the tank.

For a large industrial complex, multiple tanks can be arranged in groups with service roads and additional industrial structures positioned around the storage area.

Browse Walthers Cornerstone tanks, towers, and utility structures for additional structures that can help expand the tank farm.

Create a Regional Petroleum Distribution Terminal

The Tall Oil Storage Tank with Berm can also serve as part of a regional petroleum distribution center located away from a major refinery.

Regional terminals store petroleum products before those products are distributed to customers throughout the surrounding area. Storage tanks are an important visual feature of these facilities.

The Walthers Cornerstone HO Scale Tanker Truck Loading Rack Kit 933-3169, sold separately, is a particularly suitable companion for this type of scene.

The loading rack represents the location where tanker trucks receive petroleum products for local deliveries. The Tall Oil Storage Tank represents the storage portion of the facility.

Positioning the two structures within the same industrial property creates a recognizable fuel distribution terminal. Separately purchased tanker trucks can be placed near the loading rack, while roads and other scenery can connect the different areas of the property.

For a smaller railroad town, a single tank and loading rack can establish the presence of a regional fuel supplier.

For a larger city, several storage tanks and additional loading equipment can suggest a terminal handling substantial distribution activity.

The combination of storage and loading structures creates a useful industrial scene that can be incorporated into a variety of railroad layouts.

Model Railroad Fuel and Oil Storage Facilities

Railroads have long maintained facilities for storing fuel, lubricating oil, and other materials used in locomotive and equipment maintenance.

Large storage tanks can therefore be appropriate features of railroad maintenance districts, particularly at major diesel locomotive servicing facilities and railroad yards.

The Walthers Cornerstone Tall Oil Storage Tank with Berm can represent a fuel or oil storage facility associated with a larger railroad mechanical department.

For a diesel-era engine terminal, the tank can stand near a separately modeled fueling facility. The storage tank represents the bulk supply, while the fueling equipment represents the location where locomotives receive fuel.

For a major classification yard, the tank can become part of a railroad maintenance district containing engine servicing buildings, shops, and supporting utility structures.

For a smaller railroad facility, a single storage tank can suggest the presence of a centralized fuel supply serving local railroad equipment.

The tank itself does not include locomotive fueling equipment or a railroad loading connection. Separate structures are needed to represent those operations accurately.

Browse Walthers Cornerstone engine and maintenance facilities for additional buildings that can complement a railroad fuel storage scene.

Use the Tank at Chemical Plants, Ethanol Facilities, and Waterfront Industries

Although the kit is named Tall Oil Storage Tank, Walthers identifies several other industrial applications for this type of large aboveground storage structure.

At a chemical manufacturing plant, the tank can represent bulk liquid storage associated with the facility's operations. The surrounding industrial buildings and piping can help establish its purpose.

At a corn processing facility, the tank can become part of a larger manufacturing complex containing production buildings, utility structures, and storage equipment.

At an ethanol plant, the tank can represent liquid storage within the industrial property. Other plant structures and appropriate transportation facilities can help establish the scene.

At a waterfront terminal, large storage tanks can stand near docks, warehouses, and other port facilities. This arrangement helps create the appearance of an industrial harbor with extensive liquid storage capacity.

At a pipeline terminal, the tank can represent a storage point associated with the movement and distribution of petroleum or other suitable liquids.

These different applications make the kit useful beyond traditional oil refinery layouts.

Explore Walthers Cornerstone factories and warehouses for additional industrial buildings that can help establish the surrounding manufacturing district.

Connect Industrial Storage with Railroad Freight Operations

Large storage tanks can provide a useful visual connection between industrial production and railroad freight transportation.

Many petroleum, chemical, and processing facilities use rail transportation as part of their supply and distribution networks. Tank cars may be used to move suitable liquid products between industrial facilities.

On an HO scale layout, the Tall Oil Storage Tank can stand near a separate railroad tank car loading or unloading area. This helps establish the appearance of a rail-served petroleum or chemical terminal.

For an industrial switching railroad, tank cars can be spotted at an appropriate transfer facility while the storage tank provides the visual background for the industry.

For a mainline railroad, a group of storage tanks can establish the appearance of a large industrial complex alongside passing freight trains.

For a branch line, a smaller terminal containing one or two tanks can represent a local petroleum or industrial customer.

The tank can also be positioned farther from the tracks to suggest a larger facility extending beyond the modeled railroad property.

Important: The Tall Oil Storage Tank is a stationary structure model. It does not include working liquid storage, pumping equipment, or a railroad tank car loading system. Any rail-served transfer operation must be represented with separately purchased structures or scenery.

Plan the Tank and Containment Berm Installation

The completed tank measures 6 inches in diameter and 6-1/4 inches tall, but the full containment berm arrangement occupies a 12-1/2 x 12-1/2-inch area.

This difference is important when planning the structure's location. Modelers should allow sufficient room for the berm rather than relying only on the tank's diameter.

Before permanent installation, test-fit the tank and berm sections on the layout. This helps determine the best orientation and provides an opportunity to plan access roads and nearby industrial structures.

For a compact layout, the tank can be positioned near the rear of an industrial scene, with the berm establishing a clear boundary around the storage area.

For a larger tank farm, multiple compatible kits can be arranged together using the modular berm sections.

The crossover stairways provide access details that can help establish the relationship between the tank and the surrounding containment area.

When placing the model near railroad tracks, maintain appropriate clearance for locomotives and rolling stock. Allow room for any additional piping or industrial accessories that will be added to the scene.

Careful planning helps the tank appear naturally integrated into the surrounding industrial property while preserving space for railroad operations.

Customize and Weather a Large Industrial Storage Tank

The Walthers Cornerstone Tall Oil Storage Tank with Berm provides several opportunities for painting and weathering. The cylindrical tank body can be finished in colors appropriate to the modeled petroleum company, chemical manufacturer, or railroad maintenance facility.

For a well-maintained modern tank farm, the storage tank can be painted in a uniform industrial color with subtle weathering around the seams and access stairway.

For an older industrial scene, faded paint, light rust effects, and accumulated dirt can help suggest a tank that has been exposed to years of outdoor service.

The molded stairway can be painted separately to emphasize its detail. The berm crossover stairways can also be finished in contrasting colors to make the access points more visible.

The containment berm can be painted and weathered to coordinate with the surrounding ground. Appropriate gravel, dirt, or paved scenery can help establish the appearance of a working industrial property.

The included decals provide additional finishing options for the tank.

For a larger tank farm, using different paint colors and weathering treatments on individual tanks can create the appearance of equipment installed or maintained at different times.

Separately purchased service vehicles, workers, fences, and industrial details can help complete the scene.

Explore Walthers Cornerstone accessories and details for additional modeling options that can complement the storage tank.

Supplies for HO Scale Industrial Storage Tank Projects

Modelers assembling and finishing the Tall Oil Storage Tank with Berm can browse model railroad paint for customizing the tank body, stairways, containment berms, and other details. Painting and weathering can help establish whether the tank represents a newly maintained industrial installation or an older facility that has operated for decades.

For assembly, explore model building glue and adhesives at Fusion Scale Hobbies. The manufacturer's instructions identify the kit parts as styrene plastic, so select paints and adhesives compatible with styrene and follow the supplied assembly instructions.

Important: This product is an unassembled HO scale plastic structure kit containing parts for one tall 500,000-gallon prototype oil storage tank, a molded tank stairway, modular retention berms, berm crossover stairways, and decals. The tank measures 6 inches in diameter and 6-1/4 inches tall, while the complete berm arrangement measures 12-1/2 x 12-1/2 inches. Additional storage tanks, piping, tanker trucks, railroad track, figures, vehicles, and other scenery materials are sold separately. The completed model is a nonfunctional scale representation of an industrial storage tank.

The Walthers Cornerstone HO Scale Tall Oil Storage Tank with Berm Kit 933-3168 provides a versatile industrial structure for creating realistic petroleum refineries, fuel distribution terminals, chemical plants, waterfront industries, railroad maintenance facilities, and detailed tank farms on HO scale model railroad layouts.