Adding the Archer rivets to the bunker tank was more of a pain than I expected as previously added rows kept getting disturbed when I added a new row. I finally gave up. I sprayed the tender Tamiya ST-82 Rubber Black. It's a great color for steam engines and tank cars. Thanks to Tony Thompson for the tip. It now needs Pledge (I still have a bottle) for glossing on the center panel of the tender body for post 1946 SOUTHERN PACIFIC decaling.
I am waiting for a PSC ladder casting on order for the rear 4 rung ladder. I am also looking for an SP style small engine backup light. I haven't found one on the American Scale models list of steam engine parts or the Prantles list from their hobby store in Pasco, WA. The backup light looks like the older larger diameter SP headlights used prior to the headlight that became standard in the 1940's.
Bunker Rivet rows were based on photos of the 90-R-7 preserved at the Kern County Museum in Bakersfield, CA Thanks to Robert O. Donley for his shots of the top of the tender, bunker top and ends. I now have photos of the engine facing end of the tender while it was being moved with no loco in the way. I can fill in the gaps from the Arnold Menke drawings. Were I to rebuild or build another 90-R-7 I would make some changes. As it is, this version is not a 100% accurate model. But then the Bachmann tender dimensions are not exact and that is the base for the model.
I am also getting to the wiring changes in the tender needed to add the LocoFi receiver and speaker. My hands are not as flexible as when I last wired a LocoFi F7 diesel a couple of years ago.
The tender in Bakersfield is behind 4-8-0 2914. The 90-R-7 tender was not as common behind SP C-8,9,10 engines as the 90-C-1 and 100-C-1 or 73-SC -1 tenders. However they were used if available at Port Costa for engines in helper service for the eastbound grade up to the Suisun Bridge. east of Martinez. The helper engines cut off from behind the steel underframe caboose at Bahia crossed over to the westbound main.
The helper then backed down through Martinez to Port Costa and then crossed over to the ready track in Port Costa to do it again for the next eastbound steam powered freight. The 90-R-7 and whaleback tenders made it easier for crews to see when backing down the 5-6 miles to Port Costa.
