3/16ths O Tender Shells

[Roundhouse Ralph]

Needed by an O Gilbert Flyer enthusiast:  Tender shells for Hudson and Northern.  Glad to be onboard!

[AF53]

to the forum Ralph.

There are a few of us that are into the rare side of AC Gilbert here. If you're looking to buy the shells your best bet is on ebay, the tender shells are the rarest because of warping, as you probably already know. You'll probably need to buy the complete tender.

Good luck!

[Gray Cat]

Hi Ralph, just for your information in the event that you can't find prewar tender shells or until you do, the postwar versions will work. They are the same castings. Look in the S gauge section of that "auction site". Other than trucks the big difference between prewar and post war Northern shells is the UP Herald. Prewar is also mounted up with peened over casting buttons where as post war is screwed on. Might have to do a little reconfiguring, I've done it so it can be done. If you have a copy of Doyle's American Flyer catalog you can even see that he has a prewar Northern picture with an incorrect postwar tender. I bet  if you polished off the UP shield if should look just like a prewar version. Chances are the if your tender shell is warped or crumbling due to zinc pest that the tender base is also. In that event you could just rivet your O trucks on in place of the S gauge trucks using the prewar drawbar. On the Hudson,  the early postwar S versions read New York Central like prewar tenders did before they later were switched to American Flyer Lines. So an Early postwar Hudson tender would look pretty good in lieu of the prewar version.