Can the Bachmann 2-6-6-2 be united to an Aristocraft Vanderbilt tender?

Started by FBGardens, March 23, 2009, 04:18:55 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

FBGardens

One of our Fort Bragg club members is interested in modeling a 2-6-6-2 that was used by one of the local logging companies.  The actual photograph of the engine and tender can be found at:
http://www.internettrains.com/merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=IT&Product_Code=ART-21850

Assuming that the saddle tanks can be removed from the Bachmann 2-6-6-2 unit, does anyone have  a view as to whether we could then attach the Aristrocraft 21850 Vanderbilt Tender?

Many thanks.

Dan

tac

If you take the saddle tank off the new loco you are left with a six inch long hole.

tac
www.ovgrs.org

mudhen

You can match up anything you want , But why would you want to match a vanderbilt tender, which is 1/29 scale, to a perfectly good 1/ 20.3 scale logging engine. I my opinion these two scales don't match. In all the logging railway books I have read , I have never seen a vandy on any narrow gauge logging railway engine. What are you thinking? That my thoughs.
Remember , its your engine and you can do what ever you want

FBGardens

Thanks for the information about the mismatch of the scales.  I appreciate your insight.

If you follow the link I included in the original question you will see two photographs of the locomotive with Vanderbilt tender used on the Caspar, CA logging railroad.  In 1930 Caspar had a population of 4,000. . .today perhaps 40.  The mill suffered a fire in the early 50's and closed about five years later.  Logging operations, narrow and standard gauge logging rail operations, dog-hole schooners were the backbone of this economy from 1860-1930. . .it is all gone now.  Our Club's goal is to recreate a bit of this history on a permanent exhibit in the Botanical Gardens which are, themselves, a major tourist attraction here.


Dan


JerryB

Not certain if you care, but the Caspar South Fork & Eastern RR and it's Mallets were standard gauge.

The Bachmann 2-6-6-2 Mallet is a narrow gauge locomotive. It is 1:20.3 (15mm=1 foot) scale, running on 45mm gauge track, making it 3' narrow gauge.

The Aristocraft Vandy tender is a fairly large mainline unit, appropriate for more modern (relatively speaking), large mainline locomotives.

Neither of these items is the best starting place for the CSF&E Mallet locomotives.

I do think the CSF&E locomotives would be excellent targets to build in 1:20.3 standard gauge. The model track gauge would be 70.6mm (2.78"). Plastic tie strips for 1:20.3 standard gauge are available, so the trackage could be built without having to handlay everything. Using 1:20.3 scale would provide a great visual display for a public layout!

I live in Boonville and might be interested in helping with a Mendocino County based public layout, especially one that focuses on the North Coast logging RRs and Lumber Schooners. My email address is navarro (at) pacific.net. Drop me a message.

Happy RRing,

Jerry
Sequoia Pacific RR in 1:20 / 70.6mm
Boonville Light & Power Co. in 1:20 / 45mm
Navarro Engineering & Construction Co. in 1:20 / 32mm
NMRA Life Member #3370
Member: Bay Area Electric Railway Association
Member: Society for the Preservation of Carter Railroad Resources

Mark Oles

I won't speak to the scale differences, you do what makes you happy. I've seen LGB 2-6-6-2T's mated with Aristo Long tenders and painted gray, lettered for Uintah.   

The big problem I see is the actual interface between the 2-6-6-2 and the tender.  If that is not rock solid, you won't be happy.  The aristo vandy tender has a steel shank with holes in it that a peg with a hole is screwed to.  Makes it pretty easy to modify to suit your needs.  I am not sure how  the bachmann coupler is mounted, but it is likely you will be able to fabricate some sort of a drawbar to mate with the aristo tender.  I say go for it.

jebouck

Some logging mallets with tanks also pulled tenders as well.
If you didn't want a replica of "Samson" of the Caspar, leave the tanks on.
It is your layout.

I run an inside framed Mikado on my layout, lettered for the Rio Grande Southern. They didn't have any. On my layout they did.

jb