I’m working on an excursion steam loco for the layout, it’s an older Mantua 4-6-2 & I want to add a second tender via couplers. Is it possible to mount knuckle couplers to the front of the tender?
Thanks in advance
Gordon
The second tender seen behind some steam locomotives is usually referred to as a water car, or sometimes, canteen. While some retain their bunker structure, they are usually modified to be all cistern, with no fuel-carrying capability.
As for mounting a coupler on the bunker end of a tender, I have found it possible to mount Kadee couplers on ANYTHING, no matter how unlikely. You may have to get creative with your cutting tools, scrap styrene and even Bondo, but it can be done.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Chuck is 100% correct anything is possible if you have the creativity and exacto knife and some CA. There was a post not too far back about a board member who was modeling the SP Daylight stem version of course that did employ a water tender. The only off the shelf water tender that I was aware of was the one sold with the Bachmann Spectrum J call Powhatan Arrow. So my next club meeting while working on some scenery or something I mentioned the post to the fella i was partnered up with and he said well the guy you want to ask is Bob he models the SP Daylight on his home layout.So when we took a break I asked him and went to his car and brought back a little 4x6 photo album. (you know real train guys when they carry pictures of their trains instead of their kids) and she showed me step by step how he took three standard tenders and a lot of styrene work with all brass details to build the SP water tender. A magnificent piece of modeling.
So sure it can be done but like with any other project do your home work first
Cut two cheap tenders in half, then splice the rear (tank) portions together. You’ll have a water car with couplers at each end. i think Bachmann sells Vanderbilt tenders seperately.
Something else to consider – some tourist lines, such as the Heber Valley Railroad in Utah, use a tank car with a hose to the tender to carry extra water if they feel it may really be necessary.
But most excursion trains don’t go far enough to need extra water. The Union Pacific carries extra water when it runs its Challenger or Northern because they usually have to travel a considerable distance from their home base in Cheyenne to the excursion site.
If your excursion train is going to be an out-and-back run of 10 to 20 miles, you won’t need to carry extra water.
BONDO? Why didn’t i think of that???
I will send pictures if I am successful in my first real attempt at modifying something.
I forgot to mention, I already have a second tender, found a matching one on eBay for $5, just gotta remove Pennsylvania from it & add Canadian Pacific.
Thanks a whole bunch for the ideas guys!
Gordon
So, this was easier than I thought it was going to be.
Where the draw bar sits, I cut the extension off with the dremel & a reinforced cutting wheel, added a KD coupler box & a #5 coupler & it worked, proper height for the coupler even.
Pics to follow when I can find my camera
To be accurate you should remove the water legs and any coal door detail (if applicable) and lower the walkway. I once converted a spare Bachman GS4 tender by doing so, and am currently converting a Bachman On30 example for S scale use, one of my top priorities is to elminate that oddball truck spacing and using two shells to avoid a lot of complex fabrication.
Dave
This one’s in work train service as a water car - I modelled it with an open coal bunker. Adding the front coupler must’ve been easy, as I don’t recall the procedure as being at all memorable. [;)][(-D]
Wayne
