I’ve got 2 Annies and when pushing a train backwards around a curve the front tender truck sometimes derails. So I think I should change out the linkage to body mount. I have already body mounted Accucraft couplers on the rear of the tenders. Looking for ideas.
Thanks, Randy
Edit to add: Should I also put a little weight in the tenders as well?
When I replaced my Annies tender trucks with Accucraft units I made a draw-bar from .125 styrene and simply drilled a hole in both ends…One fits on the journal post the lead truck screws into, and the other uses the same hook on the engine the old “Hook and Loop” did. This allows pleanty of swivel but puts all the force on the tender body. It still manages tight radius curves. I’ll see if I can find a pic.
Edit: I double checked…It’s .080" styrene.
I just cut the loop off the tender truck and mounted it directly to the body of the tender. I also shortened the distance between the tender and loco.
Found it…Hope this helps. I should paint it but honestly you don’t see it.
(http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj222/Noble_Dreg/Bachmann/DSCF3387.jpg)
Randy, my son;
Just take the loop coupler that is on the tender truck…cut it off and mount it on the front of the tender, using shims of styrene to set it at the correct height. You can also mount it back a bit farther than it was when truck mounted. I lined the rear ege of the loop in line with the front of the tender. This gives you closer coupling of the tender to the loco, if your curves are over 4 feet in diameter.
All my locos hace this madification and work well.
While you are at it; body mount a Kadee coupler on the rear of the tender…
I have a related question for those folks who have converted theirs to use a drawbar: How did you connect the drawbar to the loco and/or tender? Is it a semi-permanent connection, such as screwing it on; or do you have some way of quickly disconnecting it so you can pick up the loco separately from the tender?
good thread
Ray Dunakin said:What B'mann did with the Connie and the K-27 is the metal draw bar is screwed to the underside of the cab. On the tender is a plain rod that gets inserted into the holes in the draw bar. There are several holes that can be used depending on how close you want the engine and tender to be. All the needs to be done to disconnect the two is lift up the tender and then disconnect the wires between them.
I have a related question for those folks who have converted theirs to use a drawbar: How did you connect the drawbar to the loco and/or tender? Is it a semi-permanent connection, such as screwing it on; or do you have some way of quickly disconnecting it so you can pick up the loco separately from the tender?
An interesting thread. My only criticism of the Annie ( I have two) is the gap between the loco and its tender. This thread gives some good advice.
I often run one of my Annies tender first and have never experienced a derailment. The only possible derailing issue has been thee pilot trucks changing gauge: which is a factor which I frequently check.
Alan Lott said:
An interesting thread. My only criticism of the Annie ( I have two) is the gap between the loco and its tender. This thread gives some good advice. I often run one of my Annies tender first and have never experienced a derailment. The only possible derailing issue has been thee pilot trucks changing gauge: which is a factor which I frequently check.
That was a criticism I had, too, wich is why I moved it. When I mounted to the tender body I only left enough of a gap in the coupler loop so that the tang on the engine just fits. There’s less side to side play and the engine body is what is actually pushing against the tender. (If you know what I mean).
Many thanks for those informative pics Ken. I will run one of my Annies and look at the space that exists twixt loco and tender when the loco negotiates my 8ft. dia. curves (which is the only diameter I have on my RR.
I did see, some while ago, where someone fitted a ‘fall plate’ between the loco and tender but I did not try that as I felt it might, if not done correctly, cause a derailment.
Both the Connie and the K-27 have that “fall plate” between the loco and tender, ( they come from the factory equipped with them) and it’s hasn’t caused any problems on my layout, as I have the 8’ dia. curves at the one end of it.
Thanks guys for all the good info for this fix.
The changes you guys are making I’m also going to adapt to my LGBs which suffer from the same problem. It’s really annoying when doing operations. I’ve even considered adapting some of my Kadees which I always use on the back of the tender.
Don’t bother with a “Drawbar” on the Annie; just body mount the loop with the appropriate shims…mount it back farther than it was on the truck mounted position…right where it appears in Ken’s picture.
