14 Wheel Centipede tender for Challenger

[scubaterry]

I want to thank everyone who helped me to decide to switch out my Bowser Lite Mike motor with a HH. Now even though we covered this subject a little I still need to find a tender for my next purchase the Bowser Challenger. Anyone know of a source other than the Mongram Big Boy tender? I would prefer one of zinc (not brass can't afford it). Any help would be appreciated. How would the Long Haul tender look offered by Bowser?

Darth - If you were going to convert your Challenger to DCC what motor would you use? Just curious.
Terry[8D]

[Anonymous]

I have a Rivarossi centepede tender you can have for free. Just buy my Challenger for 150 bucks, and I'll throw the tender in.

[tomikawaTT]

Caution! The New York Central centipede tender is NOT a suitable sub for the UP version. It has a huge rear overhang, WAY too much coal bunker and is fitted to scoop water from track pans, not a UP practice.

I mention this because the NYC tender has appeared in plastic, and has been applied to locos that never had a centipede tender by a manufacturer that shall remain nameless.

Chuck

[Anonymous]

Didn't Bowser sell a seperate Centipede tender for their Challenger and Big Boy?

[scubaterry]

Gshay - Tks for the offer but I am really looking forward to pulling my few remaining hairs out putting this baby together.

Chuck - Oddly enough I model the NYC/NKP RR. And with the possibility of being blackballed I plan on Decalling this Challenger as a NYC Loco. So where would I find the NYC tender you were referring to?

Jonathon - Nope Bowser doesn't sell the appropriate tender for the Challenger or the Big Boy. They pu***he Venderbuilt or the Long Haul tender which they have kits for.

Thanks for your help and your interest folks. Any more ideas out there.
Terry[8D]

[andrechapelon]

QUOTE: Originally posted by scubaterry

Gshay - Tks for the offer but I am really looking forward to pulling my few remaining hairs out putting this baby together.

Chuck - Oddly enough I model the NYC/NKP RR. And with the possibility of being blackballed I plan on Decalling this Challenger as a NYC Loco. So where would I find the NYC tender you were referring to?

Jonathon - Nope Bowser doesn't sell the appropriate tender for the Challenger or the Big Boy. They pu***he Venderbuilt or the Long Haul tender which they have kits for.

Thanks for your help and your interest folks. Any more ideas out there.
Terry[8D]

The Bachmann Silver Series (or Plus or whatever they're calling it today) NYC S1a 4-8-4 has an appropriate tender. You could probably pick up the loco and tender off EBay fro fairly cheap. AFAIK, the tender has no electrical pickup, so it would have to be modified.

Andre

[dinwitty]

You can run with the Oil Tender just fine.
Bowser never sold a full centipede but make a kit to use the monogram centipede.

I found a Brass centipede tender at a train show out of luckers which will go behind my Bowser Big Boy, which means the Monogram tender I was going to use is excess. I have the bowser conversion kit as well.
Check ebay for tenders, they show up every so often.

[Anonymous]

As it happens there's one on that auction site right now. But I'd rather have BLI make a proper one for the Hudson...

[Darth Santa Fe]

QUOTE: Originally posted by scubaterry

Now even though we covered this subject a little I still need to find a tender for my next purchase the Bowser Challenger. Anyone know of a source other than the Mongram Big Boy tender? I would prefer one of zinc (not brass can't afford it). Any help would be appreciated. How would the Long Haul tender look offered by Bowser?

Darth - If you were going to convert your Challenger to DCC what motor would you use? Just curious.

I think the only proper zinc UP tender for the Challenger would be the one made by Trix for the Marklin/Trix Big Boy. You might be able to get a plastic one made by Rivarossi off of eBay.

The long haul tender looks similar to the one used on D&H Challengers, but I don't know if UP had any.

If I used a different motor for DCC, I might try a Kato HM-5, because it's small, powerful, quiet ,and draws low current. All it would need is a scratch-built mount, which wouldn't be too hard to make.[:D] All it would take to build (for me) is some plastic, copper sheet, and glue.[:D]

[PHARMD98233]

I tried the Bowser conversion kit and ended up scrapping it. Rivarossi made a replacement centipede tender for the Challenger during the last couple of years of their business. The # is 2291 for the coal tender, it also was available in an oil tender version. It has great 6 wheel pickup, a back light and made my Challenger operate much better that it ever had, and became one of my all-time-favorite engines. It has plenty of room for a sound decoder as well. Perhaps Walthers still has some stashed away somewhere. Rarely, I see one show up on ebay, but they are now highly prized items. I bought mine new for $38.00 Also, you might think about fabricating the pickup strips from light sheet copper. Let me know if you want a photo of the pickup strips and I will send one.

[ragnar]

Kemtron also made a Union Pacific centipede tender in kit form years ago,they show up on ebay ever so often.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ragnar

Kemtron also made a Union Pacific centipede tender in kit form years ago,they show up on ebay ever so often.

'

I have several of the old Kemtron, but they are not correct for the Challenger or Big Boy. The Kemtron is actually a 23,000 gal tender for the FEF-2 and FEF3's. They are shaped different near the top of the water portion. The Riv UP FEF-3's use the same larger 25,000 tender that is correct for the Challenger and Big Boy. You might find one of these from the first run Riv FEF-3's, as they did not run well and some tenders might end up available.

Overall, they do look alike and many are used incorrectly.

The Riv tenders for the Challenger and Big Boys were available separately about four years ago and many of those have been on Ebay. Some dealers might actually have the coal version in stock. They made them available in both coal and oil versions and would be exactly what you need. I would try Trainworld and some of the other large dealers to see if any are still on the shelves.

[scubaterry]

Tks for all the information guys. I got on to Ebay last night for the very first time. I did find the Brass Challenger tender mentioned in the above response. Current bid was 40.00 with two days to go so it will no doubt be out of my price range by then. OF course I would have no idea how to bid anyway so it doesn't matter. But it was fun looking at 16 pages of tenders up for auction. I will keep looking. If anyone has anymore ideas please lets hear them. Tks
Terry[8D]

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by scubaterry

Tks for all the information guys. I got on to Ebay last night for the very first time. I did find the Brass Challenger tender mentioned in the above response. Current bid was 40.00 with two days to go so it will no doubt be out of my price range by then. OF course I would have no idea how to bid anyway so it doesn't matter. But it was fun looking at 16 pages of tenders up for auction. I will keep looking. If anyone has anymore ideas please lets hear them. Tks
Terry[8D]

The Kemtron tenders usually go for fifty or sixty dollars, but the wheel sets are not good and you will still have to provide good wheels for it.

The Riv tender is probably much better for your use if you can find one.