Can somebody educate my on what a fishbelly tender is? The new P2K 2-8-8-2 is being touted as having a fishbelly tender, but how is that different than the original tender that came with the 2-8-8-2? A photo showing the difference would be great! THanks!
The new tender for the Life-Like Y3 will be 18,000 gallon tender as opposed to the 16,000 which was offered on the previous runs of the locomotive. This makes the tender about three feet longer. From the pictures I have seen the 16,000 gallon tender is striaght sided while the fish belly tender is curved on the bottom. The fish belly tender was also much more common on the Y3s than the 16,000 gallon were. Which begs the question of why didn't they do the 18,000 gallon one in the first place. A picture of the Pennsy HH-1 aka a Y3, can be seen with its fish belly tender at the following web site: http://prrsteam.pennsyrr.com/images/prr378.jpg Hope this helps, Eric
Strictly speaking for N&W fish bellies. I don'y know much on PRR. The more common tender on the N&W was the 16,000 gal, 23 ton version. It was 40' 9 3/4". It was the same length as the 12,000 version. It was used on Y2, Y2a, Y3, Y3a, Y4, K1, K2, K3, Z1, Z1a, Z1b and the Z2. Many of these were later converted to auxiliary water cars from 1952-1956. The 18,000, 26 ton was 44' 01/4" and had a fishbelly frame. It was used on Z1b, Y2a, Y3, Y3a and Y4 locos. Some E2 engines had them. But, there was a "Water bottom" version that was 41' 01/4". The bottom was square instead of round. These saw service on Y2a, Y4, K2 and later on K1. Some were briefly converted to oil on the K1. Look in the book "N&W Williamson Terminal-1953" by Vern French for pics. He has compiled a list of tenders used by the N&W, complete with photos. Hope I didn't cofuse anyone! Jeff
All the Y3s that were leased from the N&W by the Pennsy had the larger 18,000 gallon Fish Belly tenders. From the information I have from the N&W list, it would seem to indicate that most of the Y3 and Y3a eventually got the larger 18,000 gallon tenders. I hope that Life-Like offers the tenders, the 16,000 for sale seperately in the future, so that we can put it with the Bachmann Heavy USRA 4-8-2. I have my doubts about Bachmann making a correct tender for the USRA mountain aka the N&W K2. Eric
This is probably a long shot, but I gotta ask. Anyway I really want to do a model of N&W 578 ( 4-6-2 recently repainted by myself and a few freinds ) What is holding me up is getting a 18,000 gal fishbelly tender. So if anyone comes across one let me know. I doubt seriously if Lifelike will ever come off with them seperetly . I can get the orrigional 4-6-2 with the orrigonal 8 wheel tender for less than 400 bucks, but REALLY dont want to spend the same ammount on a new brass tender to go along with it.....Mike
Good, finally some N&W talk! Now that's what I like to hear. Eric, the Bachmann mountain is actually a "light" version. Not a heavy, I too just pretend. And to Mike C. Our best bets for the 18k fishbelly is to I would assume order the parts from Life-Like to build the 18K or the 16K they offer currently. You could, and I'm in the works, use a NKP Berkshire tender from Rivarossi to use on the Bachmann mountain for use as a K1. Even though in actuality the real N&W ones came from the C&O. The N&W had 8 tenders like this on the K1 class. It's just a matter of reworking and swapping the wiring in them. I'm going to get an Athearn Pacific and turn it into an E2a class like 578. But, I would say as others have, the Bachmann mountain is a good starting point for either a K1, K2 or K2a. Also, if you can find it. An awesome source of info for us N&W modelers. The November 1974 issue of Model Railroader has an OUTSTANDING article on K1, K2 and K2a class by Tom Dressler. Really good article. Hope this helps! Jeff Lisowski
Actaully the new mountain announced on the Walthers web site is a USRA Heavy mountain. It is to be released in July. (yeah like they will actaully have it on shelves by then) This is not to be confused with the current mountain which is of course a USRA light mountain. The new heavy mountain is to be released in C&O, N&W, IC, and RF&P. The C&O will have the pumps on the front and a Van tender. This is not, I repeat, not simply a another release of the light in new road names, but is a Heavy USRA mountain. Eric
