Can anyone tell me what this mystery tender is?

Classic Toy Trains Forum
1

Here is a couple pics of a PA tender that I picked up off of ebay a while ago for like $7. I was not really looking to buy this but I was buying something else from this person and it was only like $7 and the shipping was already covered for the other item I got, so I figured I would just get it too. It has a rubberband on the big center wheel so when it is moving it makes a rattle like noise. It actually sounds like a morocca when you shake it. I have not tried it yet with a loco to see what it sounds like. (as soon as I get rid of the ants that are tyring make a home in my house, and then I can get my ping pong table set back up)

I was just wondering if anyone knows when this tender is from, or what kind of loco it was used with. It does not have coal exposed like the tender I have from the PA Flyer set, so I was just curious to see if anyone can help me get some info about this tender.

Any help is greatly apprecitated. Thanks.

2

It’s Lionel’s bottom of the line sound of steam tender. The large wheel rolls on the third rail and as it does is stirs up the plastic beads inside the tender to give a simulated chuffing sound. Acutally, it isn’t all that bad. I’ve got one on a Toys-R-Us special set from the early 1990’s and the sound is reasonable as well as fool proof - no circuit boards to fry.

3

That style of tender is sometimes referred to as “The Mighty Sound of Beans.”

Actually, the effect isn’t bad considering the simplicity and the low cost.

Richard Bjorkman

4

I’ve got a Lionel starter set from about 1990 or so that came with one of these. However, it is packed away, and I have no numbers off the top of my head. Want me to check it out? Jack.

5

Hi and thanks to all for the replys.

Jack - If it is packed away, I dont want you to go and dig it out. No big deal. But thanks though.

I was just trying to figure out if it was a tender for a specific type of Steam loco. What threw me off was that it did not have any coal exposed, it is a covered unit. Has anyone ever seen a covered tender like this before used on a real Loco?

Thanks for the help so far.

6

Packed away as in a rubbermaid sealed box under my sleeping son’s bed. I’ll pull it out and get back to you later. Jack.

7

Isn’t this type of tender referred to as the “Oil Tender” as it did not contain coal ??

Lionel used this “non coal” tender on a number of low to mid level small steam engines during the MPC era, some had the full Mighty Sound of Steam, and others as it pictured here had the Mechanical Sound of Steam, although I like the term, Mighty Sound of Beans.

Ken

8

Those tenders were used with engines designed to burn oil instead of coal. Some of Lionels 1970 low price sets used this model tender usually with plastic engines.

9

The tender is an 1130T. It was pulled by the 8500 2-4-0, made in 1975. I think they’re one of the cleverest things Lionel ever came up with.

10

Again thanks to everyone for posting. Oil tender that makes sense, pretty cool.

It seems to be in pretty good shape and the rubber band seems to be in tact so it should work pretty good on the 3rd rail for the sound. Cant wait to hear it behind my Pennsy 4-4-2.

The only problem will be with this tender I will not have the whistle the other tender has. Is it possible to have the whistle tender just sitting on a side track that has power to it, then just hit the whistle for that sound? That should work right?

11

Yes. You could also get yourself a classic accessory–an American Flyer whistling billboard.

12

Yes as stated the whistle tender would work sitting on a live track. Lionel also made whistle or horn sheds they look like the gateman shanty.

13

K-Line also made a “whistle station”, which I use for trains without a whistle. It has an excellent air whistle.