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[mcs08097]

I have been doing a bit of research on steam locomotive tenders. I have two items that I have little or no info about. The first is the dimples on the end of the tender (and the front of the loco). Found something that said these were used to support a pole placed between the tender (loco) and a car on an adjacent siding to move the car out onto the track when the loco was facing the wrong direction to enter the spur to remove the car. I have seen pictures of long poles suspended below the sides of tenders that seem to lend credibility to this explanation.

The second is the chains that connect from the tender to the trucks. Some say these were to limit turning radius (why???) and another bit I found said that they kept the trucks with the tender during derailments (again why?).

If anyone can confirm, debunk, or supply credible explanations, I would be grateful.

[ndbprr]

Yes the dimples are called poling pockets which was outlawed by the FRA or some other federal agency. They were used to move a car on a parallel track with a large wooden pole that had a metal ring around the ends to prevent it from splintering. It was a very dangerous practice and many people were hurt poling cars. I doubt that tender chains were used to limit turning radius. They were probably a safety item somehow but darned if I can figure it out. It was common practice. Maybe in the hopes of keeping them with the tender in the event of a derailment since they are different from the frieght car trucks.

[ndbprr]

I just had another thought. Chains could also have been used to prevent side to side movement when the water got sloshing around. It seems posible that enough harmonic movement could cause enough force to separate the tender from its truck and possibly roll it over.

[David_Telesha]

The chains mostly were to keep the trucks close to and under the car during a derailment. Some passenger cars had the same thing (Check out pics of the 1955 wreck of the Federal in BPT, CT).

Why?

Well, I'd feel safer knowing a multi-ton hunk of steel won't come flying onto or through the side car during an overturn derailment. Plus it keeps the car from wildly flopping off to the side off the truck.

Though your suggestion about keeping the tender steady with the water load shift is interesting. Although the crew has enough to worry about in a steamer cab to have to worry about the trucks crushing them in a derailment - or worrying about the tender tipping - maybe your through is correct too.

[ndbprr]

I learned somthing from this question. I posted the questiuon oin another forum and this is the answer given:
Chaining trucks was done to prevent them from turning sideways when they derailed. A truck turning sideways could cause the car to climb over the rails and turn over. Chains can also be found on passenger cars and special duty freight cars. Other structural devices were also employed to prevent the truck from turning too far.

[jsoderq]

Tenders have interior baffles to prevent sloshing, same as tank cars.

[BR60103]

Most of the freight cars of the time had poling pockets for the other end of the pole.
Some yards had poling cars (so I'm told) so they could do some switching from a parallel track.
But nobody really wanted to be between the loco and the car to put the pole in position.