Reply to "Building and Evolution of a Fun Action Packed 50’s Era, 027 Layout, Ice Cream Cone on Roof Frosty Bar"

Post 57a 9/4/2019

Homemade Longer 6 Wheel Vanderbilt Tender

I got around to making a second longer Vanderbilt Coal Tender, marked up with decals as a Rock Island. It is identical to the shorter Vanderbilt Coal Tender except it is 1 inch longer and has six wheel trucks.

I cut up an old coal tender with the band saw.

Added 1 inch to the side bottom rails from the plastic from the not needed part of the CT and added pieces of tin to strengthen with J B Weld.

A bottom was made from a piece of sheet metal roofing bending the folds in a wood working 4 x 10 inch Columbia vise.

The water tank section was made from part of a 2 inch dia. mailing tube and decking and reinforcing was make from popsicle sticks. Dark red sealing was from 60 year old model airplane dope.

The crack between the coal pile and water tank was filled in with balsa wood. A pair of six wheel Williams trucks, one with a coupling, were purchased years ago at a train show just for a large Vanderbilt coal tender. The tank domed back is from a hair spay can bottom, ground off with a grinder. See the back up light and hand grab ready for the ladder to come.

A back up light and ladder (made from N gauge track with every other tie cut out) and hand hold were added to give more detail. The first shorter Vanderbilt CT also got new ladder and hand hold. The CT was painted with Krylon semi gloss black spray can paint.

Decals were applied and sealed with clear spray paint. The 50 year old decals had to be sprayed with clear before applying as they disintegrated in the water.

The new longer 6 wheel Vanderbilt Coal tender is only one inch longer than the first one and the same length of the longer Lionel 6 wheel CTs sold with longer engines. The big boy CT sure makes the shorter one look stubbier. The longer CT and the longer Lionel 2065 will not quit fit on my turntable so they get to stay on the layout cruising and pulling.