Some interesting info on tenders can be found here: https://www.steamlocomotive.com/types/tenders/
Wow, did l find THIS (accidentally) to be a timely, and, educational discussion! I prefer the look of coal fired Vanderbilts because they appeared behind C&O Mikados and Pacifics with other features, that create a package of how l, others will differ, think a steam locomotive should look. However, l am not "modeling" the C&O. What Lionel SP engine used that short plastic coal Vanderbilt.?.. lt sets too high as some described above...(l passed up a chance for a 3rd Rail accessory Vanderbilt, thinking it was off a loco .. bad move!)
Lionel's recent releases have nice Vanderbilt tenders but not with the engine I want.
Canadian National Railway ( which I model) had hundreds of steamers with Vanderbilt tenders also. Almost impossible to find. Had to repaint/decal my own. If a manufacturer made some, they would sell. JohnA
Yet again an interesting read. I had seen K-line separate sale box tenders, and that one 3rd Rail l passed up (Grrrr), want coal Vanderbilt's as standard on every thing lettered for my free lance road., from switchers to freight Mikados and logging articulated, if l had one, to mixed train ten wheelers. Three lengths would be nice, obviously a pipe dream. Heck, some GW sugar plant tank engines had cobbled up add-on tenders, and l, for free lance, would decal to suit, a fantasy Vanderbilt, cobbled to taste.
The "semi Vanderbilt" is called a Hicken.
Colorado
I felt the need for Vanderbilt tender and built two of them.
The link below on Page 6 Posts 55 and 57a show how I built two, a short and a longer Vanderbilt coal tenders. They were build from two junk Lionel coal tenders shells and mailing tubes and were easy projects.
https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/...ra-027-layout?page=6
Charlie
I looked through several books on steam locomotive design and I could not find any reference to either a "semi-Vanderbilt" tender or to a "Hicken" tender. From what I could find, it appears that a Vanderbilt tender is a particular variation of a "cylindrical tender" that uses a coal bunker which is triangular when viewed from the side. It's not clear that Vanderbilt himself "invented" the cylindrical tender, rather that NYC adopted the distinctive triangular coal bunker design. I could not find any reference to the term "Hicken" tender. I suppose the term "semi-Vanderbilt," when and if it was in general use, may have referred to a cylindrical tender with a square rather than triangular coal bunker. Even the largest volumes I have on steam locomotive development have very little to say about tenders.
Charlie- those home built tenders look great! Nice work! JohnA
As someone that only has B&O engines, it never occured to me until I read this thread that I was lucky in the tender department. Think the majority of my tenders are Vanderbilt. So I actually appreciate the rectangular ones just because they are different.
I had talked with Lionel and MTH ar the Amherst show. They both have Vanderbilt tenders. All they have to do is get it to the correct engine.
@B Smith posted:It's not clear that Vanderbilt himself "invented" the cylindrical tender, rather that NYC adopted the distinctive triangular coal bunker design.
The New York Central never used the Vanderbilt tender on a locomotive. Ironic, but true. It was designed by Cornelius Vanderbilt III, the great-grandson of the Cornelius Vanderbilt, who assembled the modern New York Central (& Hudson River) Railroad.
Cornelius III applied for a patent for his tender in 1901.
An internet search turn up several references to a Hinken tender primarily on Bachman Ho locos. As suggested it look square from the side and not triangular.
Vanderbilt tenders could show up in some of the darnedest places..
They were on the roster of the 300 mile long Missouri & North Arkansas. The M&NA literally ran from "Nowhere to Nowhere". It ran from Joplin, MO to Helena, AR. On its way the "May Never Arrive" passed through some very sparsely populated regions of the Ozarks.
Andre
NOTE: photos removed per the TOS copyright.
The following link will take you to a copy of the patent application and description of tender "improvement" filed by Cornelius Vanderbilt III. The patent application also asks that the improvements (certain internal baffles, etc.) shall cover tank cars. I know this is about real trains, but I think it is still of interest to modelers.
