Spectrum Steam Tender Lengths

[Steam is King]

Hi Y'all,

I need some help. I'm looking for the length of the bases to the tenders for the various Spectrum Steamers. In specific:

2-8-0
4-8-2 Light
2-10-0
2-10-2
4-6-0

I have an idea and I want to see if it works as it surrounds the swapping of shells.

Thanks!

Manny

[rogertra]

Ya don't swap bodies, ya swap the whole tender but keep the circuit board with the locomotive.  However, that may require a bit of minor surgery to the tender because Bachmann in their wisdom decided that not all tender circuit boards not tender plugs should be the same. 

Why?  Ask Bachmann and even they probably don't have an answer that will make sense.

[Steam is King]

Ya don't swap bodies, ya swap the whole tender but keep the circuit board with the locomotive.  However, that may require a bit of minor surgery to the tender because Bachmann in their wisdom decided that not all tender circuit boards not tender plugs should be the same. 

Why?  Ask Bachmann and even they probably don't have an answer that will make sense.

You are missing my point.

For example. I love the Doghouse. Can the shell of a Russian 2-10-0 tender fit the shell of a Spectrum 2-8-0 tender? I'm not looking to swap the boards or the bases. Just the shells.

[jonathan]

Steam is King,

I don't know the measurements of the various tenders, never measured them.  The real difficulty in shell swapping is how they are attached.  Some tenders are held together with 1 screw, some with four, etc.

I have had all my tender shells apart. For instance, the 2-8-0, 2-8-4, and 4-8-2 cannot swap shells.  Even if you could, it wouldn't look right (truck separation distance).  Neither are they easily compatible with other manufacturers' shells.

There is a silver lining, however.  Most, if not all, the parts on a tender can be removed; including the doghouse, grabirons, steps, coal load and top mounted reverse light.  In fact, I am in the process of removing all the parts off a couple of spectrum tenders that I am not using.  All the little detail parts will come in handy in future projects I'm sure.  Some parts have some glue holding them in place, so require some clever use of a hobby knife and/or small screwdrivers.  Other parts just pop right off.  Likewise the truck parts could come in very handy in future projects, especially involving power pick up from the rails.  If it were me, I'd be looking at transplanting parts rather than shell swapping.

Lots of useful parts available from a tender. 

Regards,

Jonathan

[richg]

Spend some time looking at the diagrams. You should get a pretty good idea. Ok, homework.

Rich

[ABC]

Except for tenders that are the same (in which there is no point in swapping); it is next to impossible to just switch the shells of the tenders without doing so much work that the other methods suggested would be less time consuming and easier.

[bobwrgt]

The tenders for the 2-8-0 and the Light Mountain look to be the same size (short coal).
The 2-10-2 light uses the same tender as the Heavy mountain (long coal) but Bachmann has not sold the 2-10-2 tenders seperate with the dog house.
The 2-10-0 Russian and the 4-6-0 High boiler with 63in drivers use the same size tender. The low boiler uses a smaller tender.
Try to call the Bachmann service Tech direct and they sometimes have used tenders
they can sell.

Bob

[rogertra]

Ya don't swap bodies, ya swap the whole tender but keep the circuit board with the locomotive.  However, that may require a bit of minor surgery to the tender because Bachmann in their wisdom decided that not all tender circuit boards not tender plugs should be the same.  

Why?  Ask Bachmann and even they probably don't have an answer that will make sense.

You are missing my point.

For example. I love the Doghouse. Can the shell of a Russian 2-10-0 tender fit the shell of a Spectrum 2-8-0 tender? I'm not looking to swap the boards or the bases. Just the shells.

No, I'm not missing the point.

Swapping the bodies makes no sense as it's easier to swap the tender and not just the bodies.  As others have already pointed out each tender is fixed to the chassis differently.  It's a whole lot more work swapping bodies then it is tenders in fact, it may be almost impossible to swap bodies.  You're just trying to make more work for yourself.  Believe me, I've swapped many tenders as most Bachmann tenders are far too long for Canadian locomotives.  If you love the doghouse so much, just install an after market doghouse to whatever tenders you want to have doghouse.  Then you'll have yourself a dead simple solution.

And look up after market doghouse on Google, as someone else said, "homework".

[Doneldon]

King O'Steam-

Mountain Model Imports and Blackstone both have very nice doghouses.  There's a Blackstone on ebay right now for, I think, $8.76 or something.  I have a couple and I think they're terrific.
                                                                                                                                         -- D