Can the Bachmann 2-6-6-2 be united to an Aristocraft Vanderbilt tender?

[FBGardens]

One of our Fort Bragg club members is interested in modeling a 2-6-6-2 that was used by one of the local logging companies.  The actual photograph of the engine and tender can be found at:
http://www.internettrains.com/merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=IT&Product_Code=ART-21850

Assuming that the saddle tanks can be removed from the Bachmann 2-6-6-2 unit, does anyone have  a view as to whether we could then attach the Aristrocraft 21850 Vanderbilt Tender?

Many thanks.

Dan

[tac]

If you take the saddle tank off the new loco you are left with a six inch long hole.

tac
www.ovgrs.org

[mudhen]

You can match up anything you want , But why would you want to match a vanderbilt tender, which is 1/29 scale, to a perfectly good 1/ 20.3 scale logging engine. I my opinion these two scales don't match. In all the logging railway books I have read , I have never seen a vandy on any narrow gauge logging railway engine. What are you thinking? That my thoughs.
Remember , its your engine and you can do what ever you want

[FBGardens]

Thanks for the information about the mismatch of the scales.  I appreciate your insight.

If you follow the link I included in the original question you will see two photographs of the locomotive with Vanderbilt tender used on the Caspar, CA logging railroad.  In 1930 Caspar had a population of 4,000. . .today perhaps 40.  The mill suffered a fire in the early 50's and closed about five years later.  Logging operations, narrow and standard gauge logging rail operations, dog-hole schooners were the backbone of this economy from 1860-1930. . .it is all gone now.  Our Club's goal is to recreate a bit of this history on a permanent exhibit in the Botanical Gardens which are, themselves, a major tourist attraction here.


Dan

[JerryB]

Not certain if you care, but the Caspar South Fork & Eastern RR and it's Mallets were standard gauge.

The Bachmann 2-6-6-2 Mallet is a narrow gauge locomotive. It is 1:20.3 (15mm=1 foot) scale, running on 45mm gauge track, making it 3' narrow gauge.

The Aristocraft Vandy tender is a fairly large mainline unit, appropriate for more modern (relatively speaking), large mainline locomotives.

Neither of these items is the best starting place for the CSF&E Mallet locomotives.

I do think the CSF&E locomotives would be excellent targets to build in 1:20.3 standard gauge. The model track gauge would be 70.6mm (2.78"). Plastic tie strips for 1:20.3 standard gauge are available, so the trackage could be built without having to handlay everything. Using 1:20.3 scale would provide a great visual display for a public layout!

I live in Boonville and might be interested in helping with a Mendocino County based public layout, especially one that focuses on the North Coast logging RRs and Lumber Schooners. My email address is navarro (at) pacific.net. Drop me a message.

Happy RRing,

Jerry

[Mark Oles]

I won't speak to the scale differences, you do what makes you happy. I've seen LGB 2-6-6-2T's mated with Aristo Long tenders and painted gray, lettered for Uintah.   

The big problem I see is the actual interface between the 2-6-6-2 and the tender.  If that is not rock solid, you won't be happy.  The aristo vandy tender has a steel shank with holes in it that a peg with a hole is screwed to.  Makes it pretty easy to modify to suit your needs.  I am not sure how  the bachmann coupler is mounted, but it is likely you will be able to fabricate some sort of a drawbar to mate with the aristo tender.  I say go for it.

[jebouck]

Some logging mallets with tanks also pulled tenders as well.
If you didn't want a replica of "Samson" of the Caspar, leave the tanks on.
It is your layout.

I run an inside framed Mikado on my layout, lettered for the Rio Grande Southern. They didn't have any. On my layout they did.

jb