Has anyone converted a coal tender to oil?


GWT&P

GWT&P

Member
Has anyone here ever converted a standard coal tender to an oil tender? :confused:
I have a IHC steam loco with a coal tender, and I'd like to make it an oil tender, but I was hoping someone else has done that. I'm thinking it won't be too difficult, but I thought I'd check here first.
 
What type of locomotive and what road name? It's always possible to convert a coal tender to oil but there were about a hundred ways to do it and almost every railroad had thier own way since it was mostly done in their own shops. The process was basically to fabricate an oil tank that fit in the space taken up by the coal bunker and then add pumps and pipes to get the oil from the tender to the engine. The details, however, are very railroad and engine specific.
 
What I have is a IHC 2-8-2 Mikado with coal tender (DC at this point). I'm modeling the 1930's in central Texas, so by that time in Texas, all tenders had been converted to oil. I'm not concerned too much on how detailed it is, just want it to look like an oil tender at a glance. If I just cut out the plastic coal and make a top out of styrene, is that the easiest way to go?
 
The oil tanks on these conversions, generally stuck several inches above the normal tender edge. A simple styrene "box" with a fill hatch, from one of the detail companies, would be more than adequate. Depending on the road, the pumps would be located on the loco, underneath the cab, where the pipes from the tank would connect. Most pix I've seen of oil burners, had an even number of pipes, (2), rather than a single pipe connecting loco & tender.
 
Here's a Monogram Snap Tite Hudson tender that I converted to a water carrier for mt MOW train, same idea. Used styrene.

CPTender2.png


CPTender1.png
 
GWT&P said:
Has anyone here ever converted a standard coal tender to an oil tender? :confused:
I have a IHC steam loco with a coal tender, and I'd like to make it an oil tender, but I was hoping someone else has done that. I'm thinking it won't be too difficult, but I thought I'd check here first.
Click to expand...


Yep, I did one on a Porter 2-8-2 to accomodate a replacement tender and a friend had his 4-8-4 converted to burn oil. In both cases we just dropped a custom built oil tank into the former coal bunker space, and then ran the appropriate piping to the burner.

Oh, you meant on models? Nope, never done one. :) Railphotog has definitely got the right idea though, looks good.
 
This is one of my pet peeves. Nearly half the country used oil for fuel, but all the tenders, even those for Southern Pacific, etc. are coal.
 
I hear ya, Chip!
Yeah, modelbob, I don't think a real tender would fit in my garage, much less the real loco to go with it. ;) Although it would be pretty cool. :cool:
 
UP Oil tenders

Athearn is putting oil tenders with the Genesis Challenger 3985 and FEF 844. I have 844 with an oil tender (it has been since 1946).

I'd post a picture here but I don't know of any on a website - just in my computer. How do I post a picture from my computer?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.



Back
Top