Maybe a Bachmann Niagara tender could be modified or at least the running gear fitted to the Monogram kit tender.

John
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The Lord prefers common-looking people. That is the reason that He makes so many of them. >> Abraham Lincoln

UP
LEDs can be purchased in various brightness levels. Generally the resistor requirement does not change with the different LEDs. Most LEDs are forward biased from 1.7 to 2.4VDC. If you select an LED with a VI in this range the existing Resistors should work.

The brighness of a LED is expressed in MCDs (millicandela (mcd)= thousandths of a candela). The higher the MCD number the brighter the LED.

I prefer Yellow LEDs to White LEDs, and I have found that a medium brightness is better than a High brightness for loco headlights. You may want to buy an assortment and draw your on conclusions  They are usually pretty cheap, just tag them and make notes, because most LEDs look alike

Jameco electronics is a good place for electronic parts.

http://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/StoreCatalogDisplay?storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&rfr=1

Information on LEDs can be found here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LED_circuit

Regards
John
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"A Nation of Sheep will beget a Government of Wolves."  >>   Edward R. Murrow

Not many old time cars left. Bachmann has 2 1890's passenger cars, a wood 4 wheel caboose, and log cars. You might find some wooden box cars and older equipment on Ebay or from some of the mail order houses.

You may have to paint your models.

Good Luck,
John
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There are two things that happen when you get old. First you can't remember things and I forgot the second one. >> Unknown

Elcentro

The older pancake motor 4-8-4's are not very reliable or good runners. The best option is to buy a newer version of your engine. You may find some useful information here.

http://www.tycoforums.com/tyco/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=11848

and here

http://www.tycoforums.com/tyco/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=7703

Regards
John
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If you see a snake, just kill it - don't appoint a committee on snakes.  >> Ross Perot

Here is a You Tube video for an Athearn install, This may give you an idea of what is involved,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKF7U3ccnco

Digitrax makes a wiring install kit for Athearn, these may make it a bit easier.

Warnings:

1. The old Athearn Blue box motors were amp hogs. The decoder should be rated for 1.5 amps continuous.

2. Some of  the non-DCC Bachmann and Athearn use the frame for one side of the circuit to the motor. In these cases the motor will need to be isolated from ground

Good Luck
John
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If you don't know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else.  >> Yogi Berra

Jeff Wrote

"That was my grandpa's remedy for just about anything. If it didn't operate the way it was supposed to, oil it."

I'll bet his stuff did not wear out as fast as the other peoples stuff did. Many parts are metal to plastic and with insignificant lubricants they will wear faster.

To much oil is a bad thing, but so is to little. With over lubrication you have to clean the gunk off. With under lubrication you have to replace worn parts!

Regards
John
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"I never gave anyone HELL...I just told them the Truth and they thought it was Hell"    >> H. Truman 1958

I would suggest an inspection for loose parts and a quick lubrication with the right type of oils and grease.
The oils and grease should be of high quality and plastic compatible

Remember that a little of the wrong type of lubrication can destroy a good engine. No WD-40 or 3in1 oils.
I have seen more that one Bachmann 4-8-4 with destroyed axles because of the wrong type of oil.

I have seen a new 2-8-4 engine pole vault off the track because of a loose side rod.
I do not have a lot of trust in a assembler that makes less  than a buck an hour.

Regards
John
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You can't be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline. It helps if you have some kind of a football team,
or some nuclear weapons, but at the very least you need a beer.  >> Frank Zappa

Could be!
You would want to use it with a dummy A unit or or a DCC powered A unit without sound!
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The obscure we see eventually. The completely obvious, it seems, takes longer.  >>  Edward R. Murrow

When dealing with used Bachmann 4-8-4 locomotive you may find the following posts useful.
I would avoid the Pan Cake motors unless you need the loco's body or tender.

http://www.tycoforums.com/tyco/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=11848

http://www.tycoforums.com/tyco/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=7703

Regards
John
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A bank is a place that will lend you money if you can prove that you don't need it.  >> Bob Hope

Johnathon,
Great Project!
Bowser has a couple of doghouse kits listed on their site.
Shelly 716 and 717.
http://www.bowser-trains.com/Prices/Selley%20HO-O%20Prices.htm
Regards,
John
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My father was not a failure. After all, he was the father of a president of the United States.  >> Harry S. Truman

FYI
1. You can disconnect it or hide a switch on the tender and use it to turn off the light
2. On a DC layout you can put a diode in series and it will only come on in one direction
3. On a DCC lay you could add a aux function decoder. That way you could program it for one way operation or turn it   off when you wanted to

Regards,
John
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Inanimate objects can be classified scientifically into three major categories; those that don't work, those that break down and those that get lost. >> Russell Baker

What about starting with the Bachmann Aux water tender and adding a coal bunker. I think there was a article In Model Railroader a while back.
Regards
John
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The best measure of a man's honesty isn't his income tax return. It's the zero adjust on his bathroom scale. >>
Arthur C. Clarke

I too remember the old Athearn line of engines. I miss the interchangeable parts, standard motors and trucks. The Bachmann line is pretty good, but when the designs change, often  the parts are no longer available. The new Bachmann blue box diesels are pretty good at using standard parts.

I am building a fleet of FT ABBA sets and have stockpiled extra locomotives for parts. I have a couple of older detailed 4-8-4 Santa Fe Northerns that I keep running with salvaged parts from used units. The parts situation on Chinese made engines, by in large, is pretty sad for all the manufactures. Bachmann is better then most in this area

Regards,
John

The models look great! I'm using the FT units and They run pretty good. This way I can have several ABBA sets and not just one AB set of this early type F unit.

Well Guys,

I would vote on the various 4-8-4 locomotives for sheer volume. Even with the poor drives of the early models, The massive engines could warm the heart of many a modeller. The NYC Niagara, AT&SF Northern, The SP GS4, and the N&W J-Class just scream big time railroading. They came in train sets, with sidewinder motors, can motors, plus models, and are still there in the latest forms. The later can motor models were affordable and, with a little work, reliable. Yep! That is my vote.
Regards,
John
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The older I get the better I used to be!  >> Lee Trevino