For those not familiar a large number of 0-6-0 and 0-8-0 tender tanks were build during WW2 for the German armed forces on their Feldbahn systems (760mm). After the war many of these were converted for domestic use and proved to be useful and reliable performers - especially across Austria.
Many were converted from tender engines by extending the side tanks and adding a cab rear bunker into tank engines, the most numerous of which seem to be the ex KDL11 conversions which were an 0-8-0t design.
The W&L have one preserved at Llanfair, currently not in operation awaiting restoration, No.10 'Sir Drefaldwyn' so if you're not familiar with the Austrian examples there is still one in the UK to visit.
So how to model one of these useful, characterful and chunky tank engines using proprietry models in G-scale? I've considered drastic surgery on a U-class 0-6-2, adding tanks to a Rugen 0-8-0wt however I reckon that this proposal captures most of the character - and in fact several of the 0-6-0 tender tanks were modified in this way anyway! This is based on the LGB 0-6-0 tender tank commonly described as the 'Frank S'. I've photoshopped on a bunker and extended the side tanks - so potentially it's quite a straight forward job and should prove to be a convincing, robust and most of all different model, perfectly suited to the EJ&KLR.
So now it's just a case of waiting for a Frank S to come up for sale somewhere at a reasonable price!
Thanks to Bruce Nowell of the Hillhead and Dales Light Railway for permission to use the original photograph which is off his excellent 798.xx class 0-6-0 tender tank used on the Austrian OBB after the war.
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