Can you use a different tender on the Athearn Big Boy???/
If So, Which one/s???
Thanks
I know you should never answer a question by asking another one - but why would you want to hook up a different tender to your Athearn Big Boy, when the one you have is the correct one? IIRC, the 20 Big Boys ever built never sported a different tender in their service life from 1941 - 1961/1962. Big Boy No. 4005 saw conversion to oil-firing, but was later changed back to it´s proven coal firing with a stoker.
I bought one of those POS back when they were cheaper. The sound cuts in and out at low speed, and the DC control is terrible. trying to balance power pack throttle with the remote’s throttle. [banghead]
Physically I think you can if you take the guts out and put them in another tender body.
Because I want to buy one , and I found one for sale but it has no tender. That is why.
If the electronics are in the tender, no, you cannot simply change the tender to a different model and expect it to run if there was any type of electrical connection between the tender and locomotive.
Buy it, put whatever tender looks good to you on it and enjoy it. Tell everyone you used a little artistic license with the engine and that should keep the rivet counters off your back.
It is missing the tender because the owner got so dam mad at the junk MRC Decoder in it, they threw it against the wall![:(!] [:D]
Guess the best way to buy one would be with out the MRC junk in the trunk. You could make a different tender work, but it will take some work. Athearn Big Boys (oddly so does my PCM Big Boy) use a C clip drag bar. You push the C clip on a post that is inside the tender. None of my other steamers hook up this way.
I don’t remember what the plug looks like, I sent both my Athearn Big Boys back for a refund.
Cuda Ken
It is not a question of keeping the rivet counters off your back - it is the question whether the loco will run without its tender! Before you buy, make sure that this is the case. Whether a Big Boy with a different than its original tender is a good thing to have, is finally a question of taste. IMHO, as the Big Boy is a “landmark” loco, I would rather have none than one with, say , a Vanderbilt tender. But that´s my personal choice… [:-,]
Yikes, that bad huh? I was thinking of buying an Athearn Big Boy some day, I really like the illuminated number boards and the overall look of the model, but the sound is lacking. Are they bad runners, should I stay away from them at all costs? [%-)]
Buy one WITHOUT sound and get a great runner. But don’t run one without the correct tender. It will look stupid. And it amazes me when extreme idiots come on here and call the product a POS that someone is asking about. It was a simple question that didn’t warrent a 3rd grade answer like that.
The simple answer is No you can not run the engine without the tender as the four front axles pickups in the tender are the rear pickups as was the case with the original AHM/Rivarossi junk.
So you will need an Athearn tender only, an Old Rivarossi may work with some modification but I can’t say for sure.
I opted to get rid of the two I had and replaced them with the newer Hornby/Rivarossi Big Boys as you can run them without any tender if you choose and the advantage of that is you could switch out tenders with lets say another big boy or a challenger as they all used the same tender but then the road number wouldn’t match.
The Big Boy is so unique that it is an icon of railroading in itself putting any other tender other then a centipede would be purely ridiculous, that big humongous tender was back there for a very good reason to feed that hungry beast.
Bottom line is low ball the guy on what your willing to give him as he has something that is going to be very hard to sell.
I’d encourage you to buy the Athearn Big Boy if you can work out the lack of an Athearn tender issue. Perhaps buy a new one from Athearn with the new Tsunami decoder? It’s an incredibly well detailed locomotive, some say comparable to brass and a good runner. (Have you seen “yours” in person? It got great magazine reviews upon release and online in general. The MRC decoder IS a time bomb. Mine is hanging in there so far, but I’m still building my layout so hasn’t had a kazillion hrs. on it yet. If the used loco is a good deal compared with the price of a new one with tender supplied I’d say go for it. I also have the Challenger and would consider another with the Tsunami installed.
What is so bad in particular with an MRC decoder?
I havent seen it in person but I have seen pictures of it.
Would the tender from a DCC ready Athearn FEF work???
They are the Tyco of the decoder world. Poor quality, poor running and just a pain in the rear. The Athearn Big Boy isn’t a POS but the factory installed decoder is. Get a non sound version and add your own sound if you want one. To the original poster, Athearn does sell a seperate tender for the Big Boy so your probably better off just getting the proper new one. Oh and by the way, I’m watching that Ebay auction too. Good luck, your going to need it, LOLOL. [dinner]
Where do I find this other tender???