Help Needed - How to open tender on Spectrum HO Heavy Mountain

[mobilman44]

I'm beginning work on some "put off" projects, and this one is putting a DCC decoder in a Spectrum HO ICRR Heavy Mountain - item 82506.

The problem is how to remove the tender shell.  Like a lot of "shell removal" situations, I'm sure its fairly easy if one knows how.

As always, your help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Trainman440]

Hi! Bachmann had a few variations of the USRA tender, with the main difference being if it was Sound ready or not. 

Assuming your tender was not sound ready (aka no speaker holes), there should be one screw in the centerline, slightly offset toward the front of the tender. Remove that, then gently tug on the front of the tender. There are two tabs holding the rear into place, so once the front is loose, pull the tender foward a tad and wiggle the shell off. You may have to use a screwdriver and push on the tabs from the bottom, but its not required. It may take some coaxing (spell?).

Cheers!

Charles 

[BigDaddy]

On the smaller Bachmann tenders, the trucks have nothing to do with taking off the shell and are held by a nut that is hidden under the decoder.  Don't mess with the trucks.

 

[wjstix]

Best bet with a Bachmann engine is to go to their website, click on the "PARTS, SERVICE, & INFORMATION" link, then click on "Product Reference". This has links to the exploded diagrams for all Bachmann products. (The section that pops up has it's own scroll bar, you have to scroll down a bit to get to the links.)

In this case, like most Bachmann tenders, it appears that there is a screw near the front of the tender that screws in from the bottom, and then two tabs in the rear. Once you remove the screw from the bottom, you should be able to lift the front of the tender up and disengage the rear tabs.

https://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/index.php

 

[doctorwayne]

The info above is correct, but here's a couple of photos which may help...

Take care when disengaging the tabs at the rear, as they can easily break, which will then leave the rear of the tender unfastened to the underframe.

EDIT:  While all of my locomotives are strictly DC-only, it seems to me that the location of that screw might be in the way of adding a decoder for DCC.  I'm currently modifiying a Bachmann Long USRA tender for a friend, who asked me to install the stuff needed for a so-called "dead-rail" installation, where all power comes from a battery.
While it's a tight squeeze, I have most of the equipment installed, which includes the battery, plus a DCC decoder, along with the necessary switch for RUN/OFF/CHARGE, and a plug-in port for the battery charger.  All that needs to be added are resistors for the lights and wires to connect to the motor, headlight, and back-up light....

To fit all that stuff into the tender shell, I cut off the peg which accepts the screw which holds the tender body to the underframe, and added some strip styrene to the water-legs of the tender, then drilled and tapped them to accept 1-72 screws.  Suitable holes were then drilled into the tender's underframe.

Wayne

[ATLANTIC CENTRAL]

There you have it, three correct answers. One screw and lift up the front and push back. Don't mess with the truck screws. And you may want to consider adding two ounces of weight, as well as modifying the drawbar to allow more room for the wires. I can post a picture later or you can check out the recent threads on tender conductivity and tender weight, I posted at least one picture of my heavy mountain with the improved drawbar.

Sheldon

[mobilman44]

Well, like I wrote.......once you know how its easy.

I simply did not see the screw - and I did look, and I'm a bit embarrassed.

Thanks all, your help is appreciated.

[ATLANTIC CENTRAL]

If I can be nosey, are you installing this decoder just to sell the loco? Or is this something you are keeping? Personally I think the market is stronger if you don't put the decoder in.

Sheldon

[mobilman44]

There are none out there with DCC, so I thought I'd give it a try.  The thing is, I already had the decoder (NCE D14SR) and it simply plugs in.  The buyer can remove it easily (once they know how to open the tender shell) and replace the decoder with the factory plug.

[ATLANTIC CENTRAL]

mobilman44

There are none out there with DCC, so I thought I'd give it a try.  The thing is, I already had the decoder (NCE D14SR) and it simply plugs in.  The buyer can remove it easily (once they know how to open the tender shell) and replace the decoder with the factory plug.

 

 

Agreed, don't loose the plug.......

Sheldon

[mobilman44]

Mission accomplished!  It runs nicely in DCC, and I've got the plug should a new owner want it for DC operation.

[Trainman440]

mobilman44

Mission accomplished!  It runs nicely in DCC, and I've got the plug should a new owner want it for DC operation.

 

Nice stuff! Id also recommend to cut off the capacitors that are usually wired to the motor output on the stock board. They interfere with operation. 

Charles

[mobilman44]

Yes, I had a note on that and will pass it along should it get a new owner.