SPECTRUM #89921 AUX. TENDER

[RUDEDOG2653]

I've seen the Spectrum aux. water tender model#89921 undecorated and was wondering if anyone knows if either the PRR,CNJ,PRSL or Reading railroads used them.

[RAM]

I think it is a safe bet that none of these railroad used aux tenders.

[blwfish]

None of those roads used many (if any) auxiliary tenders.  CNJ, PRSL and Reading operated almost exclusively in pretty short-distance operations (less so for Reading), where the additional weight would outweigh the benefits of being able to run longer distances without stopping. PRR definitely ran longer distances, but they gave their locomotives some pretty huge tenders like the 210f75 "coast-to-coast" tenders applied to some M1 4-8-2's. In addition, a fair number of their locomotives that ran their longest hauls used water scoops. This allowed the locomotive to scoop water from pans placed between the wheels while at speed. Clearly, if one could scoop water while in motion, an auxiliary tender wasn't needed.

Even the N&W (the prototype for the model in question) didn't start using auxiliary tenders until very late in the steam era, when they were able to operate their locomotives in much longer distances without stopping or servicing. Remember that in the steam era, most runs were not very long - 100 miles or so. Unless you had a very slow run, or a very, very high capacity boiler (N&W Class A, NYC Niagara, C&O 2-6-6-6) it was pretty hard to evaporate (ie use) what the tender could carry.