Class J Aux Tender

[NW Mailing List]

Bachmann made the larger excursion tender in the 1980s with their initial Class J model.  Since then, they have released the 1950s auxiliary water tender in their Spectrum line.  This is the same tender that BLI and brass importers such as Precision Scale and NWSL have offered in HO.  NS actually made several auxiliary water tenders, all built to the same basic dimensions.  The Bachmann one is closest to the tender that was rebuilt along with 611 in 1982, and that I believe eventually went to the Indiana Transportation Museum.  By the 1990s, at least one tender was rebuilt with welded sides instead of riveted; this is the tender that was painted like a passenger car with all tuscan sides, and I think was sold to the 261 group after the original excursion program ended.  One of the rebuilt tenders went to VMT with 611 and 1218, and I believe was then restored with 611 for her current excursion career.  

The Bachmann excursion tender may be lacking in detail compared to today's models, but it is still the only option for these tenders.  It depends how faithful to prototype you want to be, but I feel the size difference between the excursion and revenue tenders is great enough you can't really substitute one for the other.

Marty Flick


---- NW Mailing List via NW-Mailing-List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> wrote: 
> There's been some discussion over the last couple weeks about Class J models.  I'm curious about the auxiliary tender that 611 carried during her excursion career.  BLI and Bachmann both offer a N&W auxiliary tender but I seem to recall one being the excursion tender and the other the revenue service tender.  Anyone have any insight? Josh Blevins Charlotte, NC