# Diesel Tender



## Scottg (Jul 25, 2018)

I assume this is a picture of a brake tender pulled behind this BL-2. Or is it carrying additional fuel? 
When I look up brake tender all I get are British rail versions like Hornsby’s. If this is a brake tender, are there any produced now or in the recent past? 
I think it would be cool to find or make such a tender to go with my BL-2.


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## Dennis461 (Jan 5, 2018)

No, it's a slug. Electric truck motors powered from the 'A" unit


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

The only additional fuel supplies I know of on non-steam locos are those for natural gas powered locos. The have a tender or tank car of LNG behind the loco. The experimental gas turbine locos often carried a separate fuel supply. 

But as Dennis said, your photo is of a slug -- a separate set of traction motors to increase tractive effort, with a second prime mover (diesel generator). They draw power from the A unit. Most of the enclosed area above the deck is cooling equipment and ballast.


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## Scottg (Jul 25, 2018)

Cool. I am new to the hobby and railroads in general. Was trying to figure it out on my own but that’s all I could figure out.
I went and read a few articles on different types of slugs. Thanks for pointing that out.

Do modelers that have an interest in making a representation of a slug build their own from an old loco or from scratch? Looking at a few online retailers I only find decals for ‘switchers and slugs’ but no models.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Some diesels have tenders.  Some just drag around a tank of propane.


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## Ko Improbable (Mar 15, 2017)

Scottg said:


> Cool. I am new to the hobby and railroads in general. Was trying to figure it out on my own but that’s all I could figure out.
> I went and read a few articles on different types of slugs. Thanks for pointing that out.
> 
> Do modelers that have an interest in making a representation of a slug build their own from an old loco or from scratch? Looking at a few online retailers I only find decals for ‘switchers and slugs’ but no models.


Not only would I love to have a slug or two for my layout, I've been wondering about possibly converting a low mechanical quality locomotive into a non-powered dummy. If I'm going to do that, it might even make sense for me to turn it into a cabless "calf" locomotive for my NW2. I just don't know if I can find locomotive trucks with free-spinning wheels.


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

That's the easy part....just take the gears out of the trucks....


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## Ko Improbable (Mar 15, 2017)

Old_Hobo said:


> That's the easy part....just take the gears out of the trucks....


Yeah, I ended up doing that. I was just unsure that the wheels would be sufficiently free spinning afterward. I lucked out, if nothing else, and they're good. Now I'll have to run a session with it and see if I'm okay with the extra drag it places on the NW2.


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