Bachmann Spectrum tenders are great for kitbashers.   I just put together a kitbash project using a Spectrum tender behind another manufacture's engine.
I have been using Bachmann tenders behind all of my steam engines no matter who made them.  I changed a  Y3 2-8-8-2 Mallet  into something a liitle DM&IR M1 class mallet like,  which had a small tender.
Had to sacrifice the trailing truck for the drawbar mount.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAD0zYAP300

Got  the 2-8-0 running and put back together. Runs great with no stalling
Heres a video. I plan on just adding a little weathering to show the detail better. I am going for the recent repaint look with just a little road grime.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0htS0aBk8Cc

Never thought of clean all of  the contacts. I have been hard wiring my truck tabs to the draw-bar on most of my spectrum tender recently. because I have had some pick up issues with the stock set up. Next time I will try cleaning the brass strips.  Seems that  when I am kitbashing the tender I manage to bend one of  those  brass strips on top of the tender floor and they seem never to work quite right after bending them bacK.

However I love Bachmann spectrum tenders. And have used them on many projects

Are the truck contact tabs making good contact to the brass strips in the tender? Also are the draw-bar contacts tight on the engine post and touching the front tender truck contacts ?

 

I do not have the 4-6-0,but I use the spectrum tenders for many projects as mentioned. If they are sold out and  If the 4-6-0 uses the standard spectrum long tab trucks you could buy the whole tender off the bay and have 2 trucks.  There is a Bachmann retailer that seems to have a lot of NEW spectrum tenders for sale on the bay.

Do not know if I can say the name.

It still has one peg for the draw bar,so I am good until that one breaks.

I fixed this engine. I removed the cab/boiler and ran wires to the same spot as the motors connection soldered it and ran the wire out the back with plenty of extra length to be tucked in the tender. I test ran with out the tender shell and with wire sticking out and it runs good.

What broke on my engine is the frame peg below the cab.   When the liquid tape dries I will put it back together

I did it again I was working on a project  spectrum 2-8-0 and I thought the draw-bar pegs on the engine looked bent in,so I thought I will just stick my exato knife in between and straiten them   and you guessed it one snapped off.  I have done this before and hard wired the tender to the engine.  However has anybody else done this and is there a better way to fix this?

I know I could disassemble it and replace the frame(I do have a spare parts 2-8-0 ) this seem like more work than just wiring them togather.

I picked up  a a non running  Bachmann 4-4-0 fixed it and tested it out on my layout. It pulled this train in the  video up a 2% grade. I was impressed. ( I added a dummy knuckle coupler)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvzvgJTKO7c

Bachmann Milwaukee Road F7 Video.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxqyItyHWT4

I will post a photo when I have weathered them.

I have been building a set of 4 Milwaukee road F7s using Bachann F7s and Older spectrum(black gear) drives and plus chassis converted to dummies (white split gears ) I bought one more used spectrum F off feebay. I tested it with out removing the shell and thought it was the older spectrum until it ran,it is so quit and smooth and after removing the shell found out why it is  the new DCC drive.

It is tempting to convert all of my Fs to this new drive.   

Side note,I run DC and the speed range of this engine is very close to my china made atlas engines.

Nice job Bachmann

I have some Plus F7s that I have painted up for Milwaukee road. I have converted then to dummies ( white cracked gears ) except for one F7A that is the older nonDCC spectrum with black gears.I have thought of ordering some replacement wheel sets from Bachmann to power some B units. My question is the photos of the new replacement axles show white gears. Is this a older photo or is it a new plastic that does not crack ? 

I really like mine,I do not have any problems with curves,but all of mine are 19r with 28r easements (unitrack ) It also pulls very well ,43 cars up a 2% grade on a curve and it could pull more.

It did not pull like this at first ,but thanks to  Mark who sent a tag to I think victor M on how to  fix the the drive wheel excessive play It now  pulls like a mule.

I beleave the prototype also had a blind drive wheel.

I got a box of non running N scale engine off feebay,one is a heavy 4-8-2 after I took it apart,I found that the motor is stuck. I did get to free up a bit ,but it is binding like a brush is jammed ,I also found a hole melted on the tender shell above the decoder,the decoder is also melted on one spot.

I am thinking of  a kit bash by converting this to DC and using a spare J tender and maybe adding the delta trailing truck from the K4 . ( I have a freelace line )  Bachmann does not list the motor for sale on this engine,also the web site does not show the chassis explode view so I could see the motor part number to match up with different engine.

Does any body know what other engine uses this same motor or can this motor be repaired. I assume the motor puked and this took out the decoder ,  or maybe the other way around.