Wayne- I always get good ideas from you- you're a great resource on this forum!
Cedarwoodron
cedarwoodron...Here, if I cut the top of the bunker, it would be a coal-only tender when I finished....
Sorry if I was misunderstood, Ron, but I wasn't criticising your choice, as I said...
doctorwayneGood idea...two tenders-in-one!....
While I don't plan on having any oil burners, I simply enjoy changing my tenders to carry loose "coal". I merely intended to show an alternative method for modifying tenders.
Wayne
As to photos- this was an easy job so I did not photo it, but look at an image of a Vanderbilt short tender with the smooth flat top on the front bunker to get an idea of what I was doing. Ordinarily (3 tenders so far) I would physically cut out the molded coal load that was part of the model, make a new floor with styrene beneath and use a carved piece of balsa as a base for gluing my coal particles. Here, if I cut the top of the bunker, it would be a coal-only tender when I finished. This removable tray makes it a two-fer!
Good idea...two tenders-in-one!
While many tenders come with a coal load, either a snap-in piece or moulded as part of the tender's body shell, I prefer to remove whichever happens to come with the tender, then rework it so that there's at least some depth to the coal bunker.That way, I can use "live" (loose) "coal" in the tender. While it's not necesary for operations, if you shoot a series of photos of, f'rinstance, a train during its workday, you can show that as the loco works, its coal supply diminishes.It's actually easier to depict if you shoot the pictures in reverse sequence, with the coal in the bunker very low, and then add coal as the pictures add-up. The final one might be of the tender being coaled, or of it full, just after being coaled. If you then arrange the pictures in reverse order, the coal pile in the bunker will decrease as the loco works through the day.
Here's a shortened tender, from a Bachmann Consolidation...
...and attached to its locomotive, just out of the shop...
This tender, from an IHC Mogul, was for an oil burner when I first got it, but I shortened it, then added a modelled coal bunker....
...later, I rebuilt it again, increasing the capacity of the cistern, and further modifying the coal bunker...
...and modernised its locomotive, too...
This brass Mogul's tender had an open bunker when I got it...
...but when I modernised the locomotive, I also increased the size of the coal bunker...
While I like Ten Wheelers, these ones, from Bachmann, were a bit too old-looking, even for my late '30s-era layout. The tenders looked too large, too, especially in width....
I both shortened and narrowed the tenders, adding a partial coal bunker......
...with the bunkers fairly shallow due to the weights installed beneath it...
With a few modifications, I had a pair heavier-looking locomotives , with tenders better matching tbe locos with which they were paired...
Is there any chance you could post a picture of this?
.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
After I asked about Vanderbilt oil or coal loads on the MR Prototype forum, I realized I could make a removable coal load to fit on top of the closed front bunker. There is a small inset all around the square of the bunker, so I used 2x4 scale strip styrene to enclose it, temporarily protecting the surface of the top edges of the model from the styrene glue with scotch tape. After that dried I used .020 sheet styrene to make a "tray" within the strip styrene square. I located the center of the square and used a paper punch to create a hole, as there is a slight bulge created by a molded in oil hatch on top of the bunker cover, then glued the strip square to the flat tray surface. The strip styrene surround projects 1/16 inch above the tray surface. The top of the hole was then covered by a small piece of styrene so coal particles would stay in the tray. I sprayed the tray flat black, let it dry then used my "coal load particles" (fine black sand granules for craft decor available at Michaels) to sprinkle a covering layer in the tray where I had brushed white glue (full strength). After that dried overnight I built some elevation to the coal load this time using 50/50 diluted white glue with water. I used light double-stick tape on the bottom of the tray to secure it to the top of the oil bunker. Now I have a "dual function" Vanderbilt tender!