The first picture is of the actual tower with tank on top.
The second picture is still tranmere water tower but its actually of the second storage tank which was adjacent to the tower but serving the reservoir storage area which was deep into the ground. You can see in the picture where the brick arches used to be.
I hadn't realised that you had thought it was the same storage tank.
The above newspaper cutting says "...landmark in the area for more than 30 years". If it was completed in 1862 and the cutting is dated 1980 then er...Mmmm. ermmm.
Yes, it IS more than 30 years. 118 years actually. Well 118 is more than 30 so that's OK then ???? Close enough !
Managed to sort a picture out of the original plaque that was on the side of the supply tank in the second picture. Includes the engineer Richardson who was mentioned in the press cutting from 1861 must have taken them sometime to complete it then since the plaque shows 1882.
