Adding a Small Detail to a Lionel N&W J

They were used when J's were relegated to pulling freight. I think I might have seen a picture of a J with an auxiliary water tender. The Tuscan striped tender did not appear until the excursions of the 1980s and beyond.

It would be interesting to see if the tender is magnetic. I've never tried it. If so, a magnet on the bottom would be a great way to temporarily attach it.

Gilly@N&W posted:

They were used when J's were relegated to pulling freight. I think I might have seen a picture of a J with an auxiliary water tender. The Tuscan striped tender did not appear until the excursions of the 1980s and beyond.

It would be interesting to see if the tender is magnetic. I've never tried it. If so, a magnet on the bottom would be a great way to temporarily attach it.

My aux tender is not the striped version which led me to the idea to try to add the details of a J in freight service.

Magnetic mounting is the idea I’ve been toying with.  The shell is not a ferrous alloy so it sadly doesn’t attract a magnet as is, but I’m wondering if I can put a small strip of steel on the underside of the tender deck and glue a small magnet or two in the doghouse.  I don’t expect it to hold extremely tight, but I don’t want it rattling around up there as it goes down the track either.

Another reference photo of 612 with a doghouse and aux tender.

A magnet will work. Rather than a small magnet on the doghouse put a larger magnet under the shell. Rare earth magnets are very strong. Glue the steel strip to the doghouse. 

Pete

A magnet/steel plate idea is good, but keep in mind magnets and the boards inside the tender. Probably you won't have anything that close to them or use magnets of great power; just offering an overabundance of caution.

Velcro! (Kidding - you'd have to stick/glue something to the tender deck, I imagine.)

D500 posted:

A magnet/steel plate idea is good, but keep in mind magnets and the boards inside the tender. Probably you won't have anything that close to them or use magnets of great power; just offering an overabundance of caution.

Velcro! (Kidding - you'd have to stick/glue something to the tender deck, I imagine.)

I imagine the speakers are the only thing under there, but I don't know if a small magnet nearby would interfere with those.  Lionel did utilize a magnetic setup on their recent Legacy UP FEF 844 locomotive's tenders since they had the removable "Lionel Lines" badges.  Perhaps I need to look into what they did for that.

I wish it was as easy as Velcro 

Pete, thanks for your suggestion as well.  That's definitely an idea that I hadn't thought about previously.  

A magnet won't affect the electronics, you're safe there.

A lot of the newer Lionel engines use magnets to hold down the switch covers when they were moved from under the cab or frame to the top for easier access.

I get mine from KJ Magnetics but for small quantities I expect they can be had on ebay.

Pete

Thanks guys, I'll have to look around my workbench.  I believe I have a few small rare-earth magnets left over from another project at home.  If not I'll dig some up.  I believe that's the route I want to go with it.