I have a question regarding these Vanderbilt Tenders see attached picture. On the rear end of this tender above the Knuckle, there are two large round holes which appear to be drain holes but I was wondering why they would be there? I managed to open them back up as they appear to be full of track bed dirt sand etc.. Can anyone shed light on these??

Got a photo of the holes in question?

Peter, I looked at a photo of the rear of the tender in the Facebook group and I can not see what holes you are referring to.

I have taken some pictures that better describe the drain holes. What we are wondering, if these are in case a leak develops on the bottom of the tank where it sits in the rear frame and the water runs along between the tank and frame and runs out these holes?? I wish CN had put drain holes further up near the face of the tank as it always collects water there and as you can see by the pics, the joint where the tank meets the frame, always rusts out..

Did the tender ever have draft gear with a top-lifting coupling pin? Cut lever brackets would have attached about there.

dave

No idea Dave...?

These holes may have been used to attach a passenger car buffer restraining device, used to keep the diaphram buffer from over riding onto the striker casting.

Mike Tillger

HI
Maybe the holes were used for lifting the frame , when in the shop when the tank was off for work ? Pat.

These tenders do not have a frame. The bottom of the tank serves that purpose. It is 1" thick steel plate to which the bolsters, drawbars and draftgear are attached.

Just to clarify, the square areas around the holes are from aluminum plates that I had fixed over the top last year to stop water getting in. The areas need to be cleaned and repainted this summer.

These could simply be holes that were put in the casting to simplify handling/ machining.

They appear to be cast in, not machined. Usually a mounting hole would be drilled.

Steve Hunter

Joe, there are two saddle type frames that the tank sits in.. one at the front and one at the back it is the back one I was referring to.

I think you ought to consider that they are just "core prints" (not really absolutely correct use of the term) that provided support for the sand core that formed the interior volume of the casting, and served absolutely no other purpose after the casting was poured. An alternative method of providing support for cores that are difficult to support is "chaplets", little steel spools that become part of the final casting, but they have their own issues.

.

Peter,

The earlier vanderbilt tenders had actual frames (see the tender that 6077 now has for example). On the more "modern" vanderbilt tenders, the frame was replaced with the thick steel plate that makes up the bottom of the tank. Also, I was responding to Pats suggestion that the holes were used to lift the tank of a frame.