doctorwayne's 2021 Do Something Challenge - Part 2
#1
This will be my "cover-my-backside" thread, to increase my chances of at least finishing one Challenge.  It will involve modifying some old steam locomotive tenders  into tool & water cars for MoW service.  They were started some time ago, and then put on the back burner, but like the passenger and head-end cars in Part I of my Challenge, I wanna get 'em done, and off my "to-do" list. 
As with the cars in part one, two friends will each get a car, while the other two are for my layout.

Wayne
Reply
#2
Here's the current state of the surplus tenders, with some details already added......

   

The one in the foreground was nothing but a body shell when I bought it around 40 years ago, for a couple of bucks, off the "used" table at a now-long-gone hobby shop (that's a block of lead in the coal bunker, and there'll be a bigger one inside the tender's cistern).

The two in the middle were complete kits, with cast metal underbodies, trucks with metal wheels, and one-piece plastic bodies.  They were on sale at the same store  (very unusual at that store) perhaps 30 years ago.  I've added the Kadee couplers and some grabirons.

The one at the top is an older Mantua tender, with the cast-in coal load and the coal bunker's sides removed by a previous owner.  There was also some damage to the water-leg on the near side, which I've corrected.  The underbody is cast metal.  There were no trucks on the model as-bought, but it cost only a buck.

My plan is to make these into water cars for MoW service, but convert the coal bunkers into small mobile tool sheds.

The two complete kits will go to my two accomplices, while the body-shell version and the Mantua cast-off will be for my own layout.

The work on these four cars won't be overwhelming, so I hope to have at least this part of my Challenge finished by the time the Challenge ends.  We'll see how Part I fares....like most of my past Challenges, I'll continue on if it's not finished in time, as I don't like giving up on projects.

Wayne
Reply
#3
Cool! Do you have prototype photos you are working from?
--
Kevin
Check out my Shapeways creations!
3-d printed items in HO/HOn3 and more!
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="https://www.shapeways.com/shops/kevin-s-model-train-detail-parts">https://www.shapeways.com/shops/kevin-s ... tail-parts</a><!-- m -->
Reply
#4
I amazed how you turn one thing into something else.
Tom
Silence is golden but Duct tape is silver
Ridley Keystone & Mountain Railroad
My Rail Images Gallery
Reply
#5
(04-01-2021, 08:41 AM)nachoman Wrote: Cool!   Do you have prototype photos you are working from?

No prototype photos, although I have seen lots of tenders re-purposed as water cars.  I have one on the layout which I think is probably a Tyco.  I modelled its coal bunker, but all that's there is some left-over coal and a couple of planks.  Here's some just-taken photos, which show that I need to do a small repair to one of the handholds on the rear corner...the camera seems to see things much better than do my eyes.

   

   

   

For the Challenge ones, I'll be adding a little height and a boxcar-type roof over the coal bunkers, plus access doors on the front of the bunker....whatever's in there won't be viewable...could be tools, maybe a gasoline-powered pump., along with some hose....whatever the MoW Dept. thinks appropriate, I guess.  I'm savin' them a bag of money by not actually putting anything inside. Misngth

Wayne
Reply
#6
love  equipment  that was saved from scrappers torch and put to good use ,  as for the bent hand rail it's a piece of MW equipment .
Jim
Reply
#7
That one of yours is definitely a Tyco. Had a junked one as a kid, and wanted to do the same with it. Not sure whatever happened to it.

There are a few such converted tenders on the Narrow Gauge still in Chama, New Mexico.

Right now I have two Vanderbilt tenders not in use, plus a sloped back one or two. A project like this could be a good use, but sometimes at train shows you can find a junked loco without tender for dirt cheap. My 4-year-olds like tenders. So maybe having a few extra on a train could be a good thing.
--
Kevin
Check out my Shapeways creations!
3-d printed items in HO/HOn3 and more!
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="https://www.shapeways.com/shops/kevin-s-model-train-detail-parts">https://www.shapeways.com/shops/kevin-s ... tail-parts</a><!-- m -->
Reply
#8
(04-02-2021, 09:51 PM)nachoman Wrote: ....My 4-year-olds like tenders.  So maybe having a few extra on a train could be a good thing.

Yeah, all locomotives should have a tender behind.   Misngth

Wayne
Reply
#9
They should change your status from Super Moderator to Super Moderator AND Super Modeler!
Mike

Sent from my pocket calculator using two tin cans and a string
Reply
#10
Thanks Mike, but I don't even know where (or why) they came up with that "super" business....maybe it was intended to be "supper", or maybe "stupor".

Wayne
Reply
#11
(04-03-2021, 09:17 AM)doctorwayne Wrote: Thanks Mike, but I don't even know where (or why) they came up with that "super" business....maybe it was intended to be "supper", or maybe "stupor".

Wayne

It was originally going to be, "pooper-swooper", but we decided not to go that route... Nope 

But, as a real explanation, "moderators" can moderate specific forums that they are assigned, "super moderators" can moderate all forums. Mikey and I have always been in favor of the latter for all...
Don (ezdays) Day
Board administrator and
founder of the CANYON STATE RAILROAD
Reply
#12
I converted an old tyco tender into an auxiliary tender for my Tichy wrecking crane. They make a neat little project
Reply
#13
Just so nobody thinks that I've abandoned this part of my Challenge, here are a couple of photos showing at least some progress....

   

   

I used .060" sheet styrene to build-up the coal bunkers, as I had lots of cuttings of that material left-over from other projects.  I then sheathed the outside of the extensions using some Evergreen "corrugated" siding.  The doors allowing access into the former coal bunkers are from either Tichy or Grandt Line.  They're non-working, so I won't have to make any details for the interior. Thumbsup
The next step is to build the roofs, and I'll likely be using Evergreen sheet- and strip-material to create a waterproof cover for each car.

The lead car, in the first photo, is the one that didn't have a cast metal underbody, but it looks like I'll have to modify the body shell a bit so that I can use screws to keep the plastic underbody from falling out every time the car is picked-up.

Wayne
Reply
#14
Applause Worship
Mike

Sent from my pocket calculator using two tin cans and a string
Reply
#15
I'm a little late to add this, but it's been a busy day here.

Here are some photos of what's finished, and what still needs some work.

This one is for a friend....

   

...to be delivered tomorrow...

...along with this (which wasn't part of my Challenge, but it was a challenge....

   

...as it was my first attempt at modifying a locomotive for "dead rail" operation.  The tender is pretty-well full, with a wireless DCC decoder, and an 11 volt rechargeable battery. I've also added an LED headlight and back-up light, but can't make sense at all on how to programme it correctly, so the loco's owner will be taking it to the guy who supplied the DCC hardware.

Here's another water car for another friend...

   

This one is finished, but still needs to be weathered...

   

This one was given to me by another friend, and although it wasn't originally part of this Challenge, I decided to add it in, as it needed a few repairs to the ladders - one had broken away from the roof, while the other one was missing both of the curved tops.  The car was, I believe, originally a CB&Q caboose, but it's now an EG&E car, also needing a little weathering....

   

This one, painted just today, will be another EG&E water car...

   

As you can see, it's a little different from the other two small  tenders.  All of these cars were modified in the car shop at Lowbanks, and one of the crew there suggested that while these cars could be water cars with a small tool house in the former coal bunker, as was done to the other two cars, it might be useful if the tool shed portion could also double as a covered coal bunker. 
This would be useful to keep the coal (likely for use with a derrick, rather than a loco) out of the elements, especially in the winter, where unprotected coal might freeze together in one solid block simply sitting somewhere for weeks or months without being called for duty.  A stoker with a shovel would make little headway with the coal frozen together.
I tested the arrangement at the Mount Forest coaling tower....

   

...and it looks like the chute can best direct the coal into the open hatch furthest from the tower, with little to no spillage, as the hatch opening is limited (I was going to put chains on the hatches to limit their movement, but the angle iron around the opening takes care of that....

   

   

I'll wait until Tuesday to put a coat of clear gloss onto this tender, as most of the lettering will be with decals, and will add more pictures when all of the cars are lettered and weathered.

Wayne
Reply


Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)