Help to ID this tender, plus how can I test it?

It looks like it's from the traditional sized K-4. There should be a railsounds unit inside. You can apply power to the center rollers and the wheels/axles, but it probably won't do anything without being attached to the loco. the loco had the command system in it.

Here's what's inside with the tender shell off. If it matters any, the body feels like it's die cast metal.

It's a RailSounds tender, it may wake up if you put it on the rails separately, but some of them needed to be plugged into the locomotive.  It won't hurt it to try, put some power on it.

It appears to have its own pickup rollers. In the signal sound position you should get background sounds plus whistle and bell using the buttons on the transformer. maybe even chuff if it has a magnet on a tender axle. In the Railsounds position you should get background sounds. Any other sounds would require a TMCC engine. 

Prte

Not necessarily Pete.  Usually for Lionel, but I've seen a few K-Line tenders that are mute if you don't connect them to the locomotive, and they do have pickup rollers.

Look close at pic of frame bottom above the switch. Its from a Lionel engine.

Pete

Sam:

I thought I had the answer for you as it very closely resembles the tender that came with my Lionel #6-38089 Pennsy K-4 (cab #3678) which was a 2004 product with command control.  However, upon closer look, I see several differences so you can rule out that engine.

Bill

6-38089

WftTrains posted:

Sam:

I thought I had the answer for you as it very closely resembles the tender that came with my Lionel #6-38089 Pennsy K-4 (cab #3678) which was a 2004 product with command control.  However, upon closer look, I see several differences so you can rule out that engine.

Bill

Bill,

Except for the color, this tender looks a lot like your 6-38089. If you put just your tender disconnected from the locomotive on the track and power it up, will it make any sounds at all? Some idle sounds or even will the whistle work? Mine doesn't make a peep, but I'm not sure if that means it's dead or not.

Sam:

As requested I tested the tender by itself and got no sounds at all.  I tested it in 4 different configurations: in Conventional Mode using a postwar ZW with the switch on the bottom of the tender in the “Rail sounds” position first and then in the “Signal sounds” position, second.  Then I repeated those tests in the TMCC Command mode using a CAB-1.  In addition the coupler did not open in command mode when the rear coupler key was pressed on the CAB-1.  And just to be sure it was OK, before these tests without the engine, I ran it with the engine in command mode and the sounds and coupler worked perfectly. 

I’m sure it’s a different tender than yours.  As indicated previously this tender came with the command- controlled traditional sized K-4 engine catalog #6-38089 (cab #3678) in 2004. 

HTH,

Bill