We are asking this question to see if it would be feasible to produce 3R Vandy / Semi-Vandy tenders as a stand alone item (no engine) and what price range are people willing to pay when purchasing one. Also we would like to know what RR these buyers like best?
Dave, LBR
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We are asking this question to see if it would be feasible to produce 3R Vandy / Semi-Vandy tenders as a stand alone item (no engine) and what price range are people willing to pay when purchasing one. Also we would like to know what RR these buyers like best?
Dave, LBR
What would the prototype be? Many railroads had varying sizes of Vanderbilt tenders, i.e. B&O, C&O, UP, SP for some examples.
A lot of factors in that...what material it is made out of, sizes/lengths, fuel choices (both?..oil and coal), which prototype?....GN, FEC?, and C&O were some of the common users, with others. I saw a GN, I think, brass one for separate sale in a show for $200, the loco I wanted it for cost about $100. Pricing depends on how many you
can sell at a profit...I want three lengths so all my engines would have them. Would
they have trucks mounted? Probably more questions out there, but I would spring
$100, which might not be profitable for a short run.
Dave,
Seaboard Air Line had at least 3 different varieties of Vanderbilt/semi-Vanderbilt tenders and they used them on their 4-6-2, 2-8-2, 4-8-2, 2-10-2, 2-8-8-2, and 2-6-6-4 steamers. Most were coal, but some were oil.
Apparently, real RR manufacturers and model manufacturers have more in common (as far as not being standardized) than I ever imagined 
I don't know if there is one single Vandy tender that would cover multiple RRs. I guess you could say the Vanderbilt tender was more of a concept than a production piece.
If it was scale, detailed, and didn't stand abnormally high on its trucks (many models seem to) I might go to $250 in cast metal, $165 in plastic. One concern is that to be most useable I would have to transfer at least aspeaker if not some boards into it and hopefully it would have the room to take everything in the typical Legacy or MTH PS3 tender.
OK, what is your opinion of "generic"?
I think you have a good idea. The details are a little tricky. The tenders came in different sizes and were coal or oil fuel. There is a lot of unmet interest in oil tenders, I would like to convert three of my engines to oil burners and think Vandy tenders would be nice.
If you sell the whole tender and not just the shell one common size with two four wheel trucks could work, you might also consider a "long range" tender with two six wheel trucks.
If you are just going to manufacture a shell build it to fit the most common sizes of tenders.
Design your product to easily accommodate existing electrical control systems. (DCS Legacy)
Figure out someway to make a lot of different road names (maybe BTO) and have an undecorated version with just the safety and volumes lettering.
Price range is tricky, for a cast metal scale detailed tender $150.00, a plastic scale detailed tender $80.0-$100.00. A well made shell $80.00.
Douglas
We are thinking about a plastic shell and milled steel chassis (for the weight) includes 4 wheel trucks 3R type. Or, we could supply the chassis and trucks with drawings of HOW TO kit bash the rest at affordable prices.
THOUGHTS ?
We may also kit bash a few and put them at our auction site at
http://lbrenterprisesllc.homes...html?_=1410703029914
as time goes by and more interest is shown.
Dave, LBR
I might be interested in a B&O coal Vandy to go with my Mikado. It would, however, need to have the room to move the electronics that are in the current Mikado tender.
I currently have a B&O T-3 Mountain with the looooooooong Vandy tender. 
Like Lee, what I would be willing to pay would be a function of the materials used in the model.
Jim
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