Whaleback tenders, how do I build one?

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

I’m seeking information on how to scratchbuild/kitbash an AT&SF 3010 series 2-10-2 whaleback tender for my Spectrum USRA 2-6-6-2. If I scratch build it, how would I go about rounding out the brass? What tools would I need? Any other tips/hints would be appreciated. Thanks for the help.

Dave

2

my guess would be that you may need to put it on a lathe and turn it. what Thickness of brass are you planning on using? another option (if you are using thin brass sheet) is get a dowel and board that is wider than your tender. use a hammer and the board to curve the sheet brass. (the board prevents ding marks in the brass sheet from hammering directly. you could also use a rubber mallet.

3

I do believe there was an article on how to construct a whale back tender in G-scale for a Bachmann 4-6-0. in Garden Railways a few years back. Ask over on the GR forum I am sure they can dial you on on the right issiue

James

4

I couldn’t find a photo online of the 3010-3019 class, so I can’t directly help with tips.

But…

In general, don’t bother with brass. It takes forever to work, shape, solder, drill, glue, file, prep, paint, etc. Go with plastic, which is cheaper, more forgiving, and faster to cut and glue. Depending on the size of the tender, you may be able to use a commercial tender frame, which will save loads of time (hooray to Bachmann, for offering all their tenders as seperate parts).

And don’t bother trying to emboss rivets onto the sides of the plastic. In the long run, it’s faster, cheaper, easier, and more precise to glue individual rivets where you need them.

5

You could checkout the MR Magazine Index to see if you can find an article where someone has already made such a tender. Then search out the article if one is available. Why reinvent the process if it’s already been done?

Bob Boudreau

6

Love those whalebacks! If you have the cash, you could pick up some brass ones (without locomotives) imported by Division Point in recent years.

7

This artical was in the Feb/Mar 2003 issue of Garden Railway magazine.

8

I remember that 2-10-10-2 article in MR, they had drawings and all. You could do most of the tender in styrene but the compound curved in the back would actually be easier to do in brass. Make a form out of hardwood, a router with a quater-round bit would be perfect for this!! Then hammer the brass sheet over the form. Once you get it to the right shape, trim it to size and punch in the rivets.

I found this photo showing these tenders:

9

You know, It strikes me that the shape you are after is a lot like the shape used in the packaging of many common items. The shape in the pic above looks a lot like the vacuum formed plastic bubble of one of those decorative light bulbs that you get at the grocery store. You know, the ones that hang on the hooks.

Just a thought…