I have a question about a Bachmann Spectrum 2-8-0 I recently bought. It is DCC equipped, and has a Vanderbuilt tender. Has anyone here opened up the tender? I currently am running DC, and I want to replace the decoder with the dummy plugs supplied. I can’t see how to remove the body of the tender to get to the electronics. The schematic supplied with the train doesn’t include the Vanderbuilt tender, so I can’t see how everything is connected to know how to get it apart. Can anyone who has performed this feat enlighten this poor soul?
Flip the tender over. Underneath, in the middle of the fraime, you’ll see the head of a small screw. Remove the screw, then flip the tender back over and GENTLY remove the handrails from their holes in the coal or oil bunker (depending on whatcha got). Now you can gently pry the top of the water tank casting (that’s the cylindrical part) from the rest of the tender. Pull up and back at the rear of the tender.
NOTE: The screw I’m referring to is pretty tiny. Don’t lose it. Once you get the tank off the tender, take a look inside the tank casting and you’ll see how the thing will go back together.
That did the trick. I got it opened up, swapped out the decoder for the jumpers, and closed her back up. It’s a whole lot easier to do when you have good instructions.
Thanks again Andre, you’ve been a great help.
Not a problem, HD, glad to be of help. My alter-ego and evil twin, the know-it-all Uncle Andre, was taking a nap. Otherwise, you would have been inundated with lots of extraneous verbiage.