interchangeability of Spectrum Steam tenders

[bmjcook]

Gidday
            Can someone tell me which tenders will interchange with which locos in the Spectrum line of steam locos. I am wanting to attach a Medium Vanderbilt with a light 4-8-2 and the same tender with a 2-8-0. If I can, I wish to avoid hard-wiring the tenders to the locos. I am just lazy I guess. I can hard wire if needs be, but if the tenders will just plug-in it will be much easier. Thanks for your time and effort....Cookie

[rogertra]

As has been oft said here, dozens of times in fact, when you swap tenders, you leave the circuit board with the locomotive and put that circuit board in the "new" tender.

It's almost as simple as that. On some tenders, you may need to do a little kitbashing to get the wiring harness to enter the tender, make a hole bigger but that's a dead simple task.

If you follow the rule that the circuit board stays with the engine, any tender will fit behind any locomotive.

[bmjcook]

Gidday
           Thanks for the info, I can do that no worries. Easier than I thought. Once again, thank you.....Cookie

[richg]

From what I have seen in the loco and tender diagrams, the locos have a two pin plug and a four pin plug on wires.
The tenders have a matching two pin receptacle and four pin receptacle on the front of the tinder.
Now the rub, does the loco have a 12 volt light bulb or LED?
What does the tender PC board have for the loco headlight? There are  tenders for light bulbs and for LED's. I have both. One has a resistor for an LED, the other , no resistor.

My 4-4-0 and low driver 4-6-0 have the opposite arraignment.

Rich

[gmcrail]

The Consolidations have the receptacles in the tender.  The 4-8-2s (Light & Heavy) and the 4-6-0 have the receptacles on the locomotive (under the cab).  The tenders do not all have the same plug/receiver setup. and are not interchangeable without modification.  I can't speak to other wheel arrangements, but I would guess that the newer ones have LEDs, and thus different connection setups (to prevent frying the LEDs).

Gary M. Collins
[email protected]

[richg]

Big if. Some tender loco combinations, you need to use the two jumpers that come with the tender, BUT, the jumper reverse all three sets of functions.
The pickups with be shorted, the motor leads reversed. The light leads reversed. Bottom line, the loco will not operate as you will see that the DCC system is shorted. Been there, done that, have the T shirt.
I wanted to match a medium USRA coal tender with the low driver 4-6-0 and had to use the jumpers. There was no LED resistor either and the loco has an LED, but the short prevented any damage. I had to re-wire the tender and add a 1k resistor.
Your mileage may vary as I have not heard of anyone having the same issue.

Rich

[electrical whiz kid]

I will side with the ilk that endorses leaving the original electricals with the loco and installing same in the tender.  To me, any other way is the equivelent of carrying coals to Newcastle.
RichC