Thank you Bachmann

[RGW]

Thanks you Bachmann for your great spectrum tenders and for selling them by themselves. I just got another one to fix up a steamer and I know many repair older and some newer steam with your tenders to greatly improve there running


RGW

[brokemoto]

Those tenders make real winners out of Model Power steam.  They are especially necessary on the MP 2-6-0.   The MP 2-6-0 has a traction tyre, which makes an excellent puller out of it, but compromises the contact on it to the point that it will stall on straight and level at anything less than thirty-five SMPH.  Swap out the stock for a B-mann SPECTRUM tender and it makes a real winner out  of it.  Mine will pull fifteen loaded MT gondolas and an MT wood caboose up a one per-cent grade at fifteen SMPH.  It showed no sign of slipping, but I did not try any more.  I wonder if the prototype would have pulled many more on a real one per-cent grade.  The MP tender delivers half wheels electrical contact with wipers, which actually put some drag on the locomotive.  The B-mann needlepoint pick up puts far less drag on the locomotive.

MP went out of business, but Model Rectifier has acquired its product line.  It appears that there has been an announcement to dealers, only, that they will issue the USRA lights (a Pacific and a Mikado), again, but with the half wheels live tenders.  MRC plans to add pilot truck pick-up, but that only addresses the problem partially.  All wheels live tenders are  necessity with N scale steam.   These things are supposed to come with traction tyres, which will compromise the contact on one driver pair.  It appears that we will need these tenders for the new issues.

When dealing with N scale steam, it is important to remember Miranda's Maxim as explained by ke:  "The poor performance of many N scale steam locomotives is almost always directly attributable to poor electrical contact.".

If you will take a peak at Spookshow's website, he tells you how to upgrade B-mann's Standard Line USRA 0-6-0 with a SPECTRUM tender.  It is not difficult and makes a real winner out of it.