Looking for a Specific Tender

[nkp_174]

I think that, appearance wise, it would probably look better if the Spectrum tender was cut down rather than the Rivarossi tenders. The best is definitely the Proto tender, but I'd guess that it'd cost $$$.

[tetters]

I think that, appearance wise, it would probably look better if the Spectrum tender was cut down rather than the Rivarossi tenders. The best is definitely the Proto tender, but I'd guess that it'd cost $$$.

I think you are right, now that I've had a chance to have a really good look at it. The spectrum tender is powered which is a plus, something not all Proto tenders are or so I've read from several on-line sources.

It would need to be shortened and lowered a bit plus have the trucks changed out...so that kinda defeats the bonus of having the powered trucks already there. The coal box(?) would need to be narrowed in order to have the clear sightlines down the back for switching duties. The more I think about it, the more I am encouraged by the idea that I could do some surgery on it and everything will turn out just dandy. If I can manage to modify the tender then perhaps I'll turn my attention to the loco. hock:

Alas, so much to do though...

[doctorwayne]

Unless you can find surplus trucks from a brass loco, it's unlikely that you'll find those "Canadian-style" tender trucks. The closest I've seen are these Commonwealth-style trucks, also from Bachmann:
[album]693[/album]

They can be purchased separately from Bachmann - specify that you also want the axle wipers and mounting hardware when you order.
The Proto tenders sometimes appear at one of my usual hobby shops, as used items. Even those with no tender pick-up can be can be relatively-easily so equipped, using the Bachmann trucks. I'll check on what's available next time I'm there.

Wayne

[nkp_174]

If you start cutting and have a disaster, you could just get a Proto tender. If everything goes just fine, you've saved some $$$. I think it is a win-win for you!

Here are my thoughts on where this will go...

[toptrain]

** Frank here : Your tender looks like, but isn't the same. You have a european version of the same tender. Your coal bunker slants down towards the front. As to the tender length it is very close to right, but long. Your distance can be determined by looking at the tender trucks. The type they are and the distance between them. On the riverossi the tender length is not a good match. It is to long.
** Model die casting made a low side PRR tender. It with the Bowser bunker extension would be a good match. The tender on 3674 is low sided. The photo shows 3674 is used mostly a switcher due to it's small fuel load.
** As to the coal bunker being to long, you are right. Now every coal bunker on all the photos posted are wrong with the exception of your photo. CP's 2-8-0 #3674 has a coal bunker with slanted sides. Bowser makes a brass extended coal bunker with slanted sides for the PRR B6sa. It also is used to make the low sided tender into a lines west tender for K, L, & I class locos. It may be correct for your model. If not make one. it is the easest part of that tender to make. Don't let the floor scare you. That is also easy.
Good luck ****** frank

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Tetters: I have an old Rivarossi tender like the one shown, but the coal bunker looks a bit longer. The frame has suffered from ZinkPest.

(PM me if interested)
The old Tri-Ang pacific had a similar tender (before they replaced it with a Flying Scotsman tender) that looks good repainted in CP.

[tetters]

Thanks for all the replies gentlemen. They are a big help and give me plenty of ideas as to how I will eventually go about this.

In the meantime I found a decoder that fits just jim dandy in the tender made by NCE. Which is great because that is also the DCC system I have.

http://www.ncedcc.com/index.php?page=sho...t&Itemid=1

The Bachmann tender board has an eight pin socket so this was almost plug and play. There were comments on the NMRA board about snipping a resistor as it causes overheating. I checked with the DCC guy at my LHS and he confirmed that I should snip one of the leads before trying out the loco. So far so good, although, I am kinda puzzled by the starting voltage. CV2 talks about using a number between 5-35 for the starting voltage in order to get the loco to barely move at the 1 speed setting. I have it maxed at 35 and it doesn't make a movement until about 4 or 5. I wonder if maybe I need to just clean and apply a small bit of lube to the linkage mechanisms for the drivers and such as there could be some binding or sluggishness there?

Its my first steamer so I don't know? I sure to get a kick out of watching those little bits move around though. Can hardly wait to get some more track down!



In the meantime, I've decided the headlight isn't bright enough for me. So that will have to get changed in the short term with a 3 mm LED.

[tetters]

Sorry to resurrect an old thread.

I found these trucks on the Greenway Brass website. So far they are the closest match I've found. I'll keep looking though as I have lots of time before I begin any work on this engine or its tender.

[doctorwayne]

Make sure when you install those tender trucks to get the insulated wheels on the proper side. One truck will have them on the left side, the other on the right, but it varies from loco-to-loco which is which. When I was rebuilding my Consolidations, I wanted to test run one of them after completing a modification, so grabbed one of the four tenders on the workbench and connected the plugs. I was surprised to find that the loco wouldn't run at all. The work that I had been doing shouldn't have affected the electrical side of things, so I was stumped until I looked at the other tenders. It turned out that one or two of them had the trucks reversed - with the proper tender, each of the locos ran fine, but using a tender with the reversed trucks resulted in no power to the loco. I would guess that the position of the wires in the plugs was altered to suit the particular truck set-up - perhaps different workers on the assembly line when the locos were built. I run DC, so no damage was done, although such a situation may release decoder smoke for your DCC-equipped loco.

I have three more of these locos awaiting some extreme modifications, and am going to see how they run with that circuit board removed completely. That would allow me to get rid of those cumbersome plugs, too.

Wayne

[tetters]

Thanks for the heads up Wayne!

[Sumpter250]

"I run DC, so no damage was done, although such a situation may release decoder smoke for your DCC-equipped loco."

One thing I have learned: Electronic devices run on smoke! As long as the smoke remains within the component, things work. Let the smoke out!??......It's time to buy a new device.

note: While the statement might not be totally accurate ,the consequence most certainly is.