Custom building tender for Porter

Yuck!  SS is difficult to solder, I'd consider something like brass sheet that you can solder.  It'll make the job a whole lot easier.

I took the easy way out, I found a little coal car that fit and used that for my TMCC upgrade.  It holds the electronics for the project, and I added weights to give it some "heft".

K-Line Porter TMCC Conversion Project

Our Maui steam engines started life as 0-4-0 tank engines. Both were sister engine built in the early 40's. When they got here they took the tanks off the engine and built tenders for them. Also they added a pilot truck to the engines. This is what they look like now. Don

gunrunnerjohn posted:

Yuck!  SS is difficult to solder, I'd consider something like brass sheet that you can solder.  It'll make the job a whole lot easier.

I took the easy way out, I found a little coal car that fit and used that for my TMCC upgrade.  It holds the electronics for the project, and I added weights to give it some "heft".

K-Line Porter TMCC Conversion Project

Ya, im thinking im just gonna cut the peices as templates as to what id be looking to do. Thanks for the input.

I look forward to seeing what you come up with.  Another method would be Styrene sheets, many folks have created some impressive stuff using nothing but Styrene.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

I look forward to seeing what you come up with.  Another method would be Styrene sheets, many folks have created some impressive stuff using nothing but Styrene.

What thickness would you recommend John?

How much weight should I add? I don’t think my poor little porter has a lotta pulling power.

One last thing before I order any, what do I use to assemble it?

What shape are you looking at?  I suspect you'll want the frame to be fairly thick, maybe .063".  Some of the more cosmetic parts can be thinner material. Do you have a design in mind?

I added around 5 1/2 ounces to that little tender, each of those weights in the strip are one ounce.  I had to trim the front weights so the coal load would fit back on.  You'll need some weight in the tender or you'll have problems pulling anything with the locomotive.  Without the weight, just a lighted caboose would pull the light little tender off the track on curves. 

I made this one with the chassis of a K-Line ore car, frame from Clementine box wood, and tank from coffee can metal.  Picture is from several layouts ago - don't have the engine anymore.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

What shape are you looking at?  I suspect you'll want the frame to be fairly thick, maybe .063".  Some of the more cosmetic parts can be thinner material. Do you have a design in mind?

I added around 5 1/2 ounces to that little tender, each of those weights in the strip are one ounce.  I had to trim the front weights so the coal load would fit back on.  You'll need some weight in the tender or you'll have problems pulling anything with the locomotive.  Without the weight, just a lighted caboose would pull the light little tender off the track on curves. 

The design is based off what I found online here. http://www.josephrampolla.com/portertips.html

some slight modifications to it though so I won’t be copying the design completely.

The idea came from when I lived in Alaska and my dad helped restore a narrow gauge porter. They built a little tender for it. Seen in second picture.

Looks like he used Styrene sheet for the project, that makes the most sense.  Neat little tender, outshines mine, but since mine is done, I think I won't upgrade.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

Looks like he used Styrene sheet for the project, that makes the most sense.  Neat little tender, outshines mine, but since mine is done, I think I won't upgrade.

What would you use to assemble the material together though and to cut it?

Most of it I'd cut on the bandsaw, and I use gel Loctite CA adhesive for Styrene, seems to hold really well.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

Most of it I'd cut on the bandsaw, and I use gel Loctite CA adhesive for Styrene, seems to hold really well.

could an X-Acto knife work for cutting it or some form of a box cutter?

The thinner stuff cuts fine with the X-Acto, it's a bit harder to cut the thick stuff with any precision with the X-Acto.  At least it's hard for me, and since I have a number of saws, I normally do it the easy way for most cuts.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

The thinner stuff cuts fine with the X-Acto, it's a bit harder to cut the thick stuff with any precision with the X-Acto.  At least it's hard for me, and since I have a number of saws, I normally do it the easy way for most cuts.

Awesome thanks!

The tender is coming along nicely.

I completed a rough prototype of the tender by gluing thin layers together.

Now using experience in cutting, measuring & gluing. Along with using support pieces & thicker material the final product nears completion and will soon be ready for a “field test”.

Only question, how much weight if any should I add?

I'd want the tender to have enough weight not to jump around.  I added around 5.5oz of lead to mine, it weighed about 4oz when I started.  With the added weight, it tracks nicely and also keeps the added pickup roller on the track.  If you plan on pulling anything behind the Porter (and it won't pull that much), you'll want the tender to weigh at least 8oz if not a bit more.

@scale rail posted:

Our Maui steam engines started life as 0-4-0 tank engines. Both were sister engine built in the early 40's. When they got here they took the tanks off the engine and built tenders for them. Also they added a pilot truck to the engines. This is what they look like now. Don

So many great memories of that place...too bad that a landowner isn't interested in letting them operate on his land anymore.

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

I look forward to seeing what you come up with.  Another method would be Styrene sheets, many folks have created some impressive stuff using nothing but Styrene.

That just caused me to think of Allen Armitage (sp?) who wrote for MR (I think) on building with styrene back in the late 1960s. He did some really fantastic stuff.