i have an old 0-8-0 by model power i noticed something strange the motor is in the tender
i’ve never seen this before
is this a freak of the manufacturer or can anybody give me any clues?
some mfg’s did this a while ago (can’t give you exact dates, though I believe in the '70s or so). Some of the reason is/was because there wasn’t enough room in the boiler for the motor.
General consensus is that they don’t run too well (compared to motor in the boiler styles of locos)
I believe the MP 0-8-0s were made by someone called Frateschi in South America. I think they stopped making them just recently, because Walthers has a few left they’re trying to get rid of.
http://walthers.com/exec/productinfo/490-6662
The tender drives were probably cheaper and easier to make, which is why manufacturers like Tyco made them.
Motor-in-the-tender steam engines weren’t uncommon in the US 30-40 years ago, but were much more common in the U.K. and Europe. Some people swear by them, saying it allows you to put a much larger motor into play than what you could squeeze into the boiler. I think once Japanese can motors came along (c.1975-80) they kinda removed the need for putting a motor in the tender.
Nit unusual, the 4-4-0 I have has the motor in the tender. Again, not enough space in the boiler. I believe it is either a Bachmann or a Mantua. It runs fine (not on my current layout because the flanges are too deep) but was never much of a puller.
Tilden
Locos that have the motor in the tender and a drive shaft connected to the gearing in the engine (like the Mantua General, AHM & Bachmann 4-4-0’s; early versions of the AHM 0-8-0) are different from tender drive locos like the Tyco Chattanooga and this Model Power loco, where the engine is pushed (or pulled) by the tender. It’s like powering a boxcar to push your dummy loco.
I was given a Roco model of a Swiss steam loco that has a tender drive that is beautifully made, with low gearing and a high-end motor that runs as well as any of today’s top offerings, but from what I’ve heard the motor and drive in those Model Power steamers left a lot to be desired. Nice looking, though.
Model Power sold an 0-8-0, a 2-8-0 and a 4-6-0 that were all basically the same boiler and tender drive with different wheel arrangements. They were indeed made by Frateschi of South America. I have a 10-wheeler that is disappointing. I dont understand why they can make a Z scale powered steam engine; they can make an Nn3 powered steam engine; they can make powered hand car, but they cant put a motor in a boiler as big as these. Seems like a can motor in the smokebox, turning a flywheel and gearbox in the fire box ought to work, and put the weight over the drivers where it belongs.
I bought the 2-8-0 (and paid too much for it) before I realized it would be a display piece only unless a MAJOR kitbash were involved. The 2-8-0 is without a doubt my prettiest locomotive, and the best fit of my present roster for my 1900-era pike. But…
The thing was designed from the ground up as a tender-only drive (not a tender to engine drive). Too much of the engine, including the side rods, is plastic, and cannot be used with a conventional engine drive. To put a motor and gearbox in the engine would likely require a new frame, new side and drive rods, new drivers, etc.
The tender drive is the pits, too. The “trucks” don’t swivel; instead, the wheel sets have lots of play to let it go around curves (and make it noisy). The gear reduction is a joke - the thing can keep up with my Lionel speedsters.
I will probably look at something like a very small diesel switcher drive system for the tender. The trick is going to be finding a donor chassis with a reasonable wheel base on the trucks. The other possibility is to take a look at using an MDC Old Timer chassis, and moving the much better-looking Model Power boiler and cab over to it. I haven’t measured either model to see how feasible the latter is.
yours in bashing
Fred W
MR did an article a while back on using a Bach 44 tonner to replace the tender drive unit. I think it was a Tyco.