Spectrum 4-6-0 and Mantua Mallet

[Locomotive10]

Hey Ya'll,

This is probably a dumb question and I probably know the answer, but is it difficult to add a short oil burning vandy tender to the 50' drivers Ten Wheeler?

Also, I bought a Mantua Logging Mallet with tender, that I'd like to paint and add detail. Where can I find a good line of detail parts?

I'd like to change the stack on the mallet to a sorter, T&P cap style stack and add other small details and paint.

I can wait for answers, so answer at your liesure.

Loco10

[Atlantic Central]

Loco10,

To put a Bachmann oil vandy tender behind the 10 wheeler, you will need to do do the following. This is a repost of info I have previously posted. While it mentions the large driver 10 wheeler, they are both the same electricly so that is of no concern. I have done two of these and and they look and run great with the vandy tender.

Tender Swap â€" Bachmann medium Vanderbilt oil tender (Item #89905) with 63” driver 10 wheeler (Item #82307)

Initial test using jumpers provided with the tender â€" dead short, no operation.

Original plan â€" move 10 wheeler circuit board into new tender. This proved unworkable for several reasons, 10 wheeler circuit board too large and wires too short to fit into Vanderbilt tender without major modifications to both the tender and the circuit board.

New plan â€" can existing circuit board from Vanderbilt tender be rewired to work with 10 wheeler. A simple examination of both circuit boards revealed that while different, they both have the same basic connections, so the problem must lie in pin assignments in the connectors.

Tracing wires and a few simple checks revealed that the two wire connector simply brings the loco pickups to the circuit board. Reversing the wires on one end of the two wire jumper corrected this. Now the loco runs but in the wrong direction.

Two of the wires on the four wire plug are the motor leads. Reversing them gave us correct operational direction.

This only left the front headlight. The circuit board in the Vanderbilt tender is for the 2-8-0 which has 12 volt lamps for lighting. The 10 wheeler uses LED’s, this is the main reason the circuit board is different. Rather than trying to modify the circuit, I simply replaced the loco headlight LED with a 12 volt lamp.

Additionally I added weight to the Vanderbilt tender bringing it weight to about 5 oz. and replaced all couplers with genuine Kadee #148 on both the loco front and tender.

Result â€" loco now converted, runs well with original 10 wheeler draw bar and looks great. 

This issue seems to be tied to what tender cam with what loco in the first place. I do not have all of the Bachmann spectrum locos, but from what I have seen, read and experianced, the following may be a good begining of a compatablity chart:

Light Mouintain & Consolidation will work with all of the "medium" tenders.

Heavy Mountain and 2-6-6-2 will work with the long coal tender, hicken tender and long vandy tender

Russian shares same tender with some 10 wheelers, so I am guessing they share the same circuit board.

The 10 wheeler is really a wild card here because it comes with three different tenders, depending on roadname. Some have the low, small "pre 1900" looking tender, some have the small tender from the Russian and one has the same tender as the consolidation, but obviously with a different circuit board.

But again, I think most of these differences are just the pin assignments and the type of headlight.

Sheldon

[lanny]

For steam detail parts, try Bowser. They now carry (own?) Cal Scale, Cary, and Bowser ... there are many, many steam details parts of every kind, available and Bowser is a good, quick shipper.

www.bowser-trains.com

lanny nicolet

[Jim2903]

Cary makes a detail set specifically for the Mantua Logger; bought one myself quite a while ago, but it's still on my long-term project list. As mentioned, Cary parts are available from Bowser.

Jim Dudlicek
Hoffman Estates, IL

[japasha]

If you want a vandy tender for the Mantua Mallet, use a MDC shorty vanderbilt. I have a number of early  mallets with this tender and it is an easy swap. If you pay attention to the mounting for the later mallet with the DCC plug, the entire wiring, board and connector can be adapted to the MDC tender..

[r.cprmier]

as was mentioned here, Cal-Scale and Cary-both owned and marketed by Bowser, carry a great line of investment/lostwax castings.

I am planning my mantua 2-6-6-2 for my road, though it may look a little incongruous on a class one bridge line-but maybe it won't, either!

I installed a Tsunami sound system in it; and, to my surprise, it works!!  It is a honey of a locomotive; I think on maybe the G&D of yore, it would look like a million Deutschmarks....

I still can't get used to that in-and-out-of syncopation business, but that is OK. 

On painting and weathering-as I have afore mentioned, John Pryke had done a number of articles and a book (kalmbach) on steam detailing/painting/weathering, along with other relative subjects.  Try it; you'll like it!!

Rich