What is the difference between a tank engine and a tender engine? (with regards to steam trains)?

Question

I know there is a difference, something related to size but size of which bits specifically? I've been reading too much "thomas the tank engine" with my son!

Answer 1

Tender locomotives carry the coal and water on the 'tender' behind the locomotive. Tank engines are self contained. The coal is carried in a bunker normally mounted on the back of the cab. The water is carried in tanks, most commonly either side of the boiler (side tank) - but the tank can be on top of the boiler (pannier tank) or underneath (well tank). Tank engines were commonplace in Europe but rarer in the US and other parts of the world where distances to be covered are greater. Obviously a tank engine has a more restricted range before more fuel/water is required. It has the advantage however that all the weight of the engine is available to aid adhesion (i.e. the fuel & water isn't 'dead weight') also it is a lot easier to go in reverse i.e. cab forward. In other words the engine doesn't need turning at a terminus.

P.S. Anyone who thinks a locomotive is a 'train' should stick to answering questions they know something about.

Answer 2

Some of these answerers have not actually answered your question. They've got a bit complicated or confused.

Here goes, it's simple.
A tender engine carries its coal and water in a tender pulled immediately behine the driver's cab. The tender is coupled to the cab by a steel bar located under the 'footplate' (the bit that the crew stand on). The train itself is coupled to the back end of the tender.

A tank engine carries its coal in a bunker bolted directly to the back of the cab. The water is carried in tanks which are mounted either on each side of the boiler (these are called side-tanks, like Thomas) or a single tank mounted on the top of the boiler (these are called 'saddle tanks' because they sit like a saddle on top).

The definition is not related to size. It's "tank" engine, not "small" engine.

Usually tank engines were smaller than tender engines but that was not always the case. Tender engines could sometimes be quite small too.
Some of the tank engines used by British Railways (and its pre-war predecessors) were very large locomotives and capable of hauling heavy express trains at high speeds.

The real difference is that tank engines couldn't carry so much as coal and water as a tender engine therefore its range was limited. They were often used on tasks where turning them around would be difficult, impractical or impossible. Such as in marshalling yards, branch lines (without turntables) or 'banking' (pushing heavy goods trains up hills).

Answer 3

A "Tender Engine" is, as you can see in Thomas the Tank Engine a train that has an extra wagon that follows it, a wagon containing coal (In Thomas the Tank Engine, trains like James, Henry and Gordon are Tender Engines). This type of train was used for long journeys. (Gordon's train class was designed to travel from London to Edinburgh). However Tank Engines, (such as Thomas and Percy) were locomotives with the "Tender" attached right on the back wall of the footplate area. They were used for short journeys (like Thomas's branch line)

Hope this has helped,

S.O.

Answer 4

A tank engine has the water tank and the coal bunker built on to the main chassis with the boiler and every thing else for the engine to run. The tender engine has it's water and coal supply in a separate truck toed behind the engine. These types of engine are the large express engines use for the long distance runs and for hauling large amounts of freight. The water and coal consumption was very high, thus making it impossible to incorporate the water tank and coal bunker that is big enough to supply the engine adequately on the engine chassis.

Answer 5

The tank engines have the coal in a little box attached to the engine itself, whereas a tender engine has it's coal in a "tender" which is a separate car directly behind the engine, and the tender's sole purpose is to carry the coal for the engine. Tenders are more effective on longer routes, because they allow a train to carry more coal and therefore make fewer stops to pick more up.

Answer 6

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
What is the difference between a tank engine and a tender engine? (with regards to steam trains)?
I know there is a difference, something related to size but size of which bits specifically? I've been reading too much "thomas the tank engine" with my son!

Answer 7

If there is a 'tender' immediately behind the locomotive, which makes it appear as one unit, then coal and water will be stored in this tender.
If, on the other hand, coal is stored in a space at the back of the cab, you will see either a tank on each side of the main body of the locomotive (side tanks), or a tank taking the rounded shape of the top of the body (saddle tank).
These 'Tank Engines' are normally much smaller than locos with a tender, and were usually used in places such as cokeworks, steelworks and marshalling yards etc.
Hope this information helps a little!

Answer 8

Tank Tender

Answer 9

Tender engines have a seperate tender behind for coal and water. Tank engines have a tank at the end of the engine for coal and water

Answer 10

A tender engine carries a wagon behing itself which containd it fuel and water.

A tank engine carries its fuel in a bunker beind the cab and the water is contained in tanks either side of the boiler. The tank is therefore a complete locomotive in one unit.

Thomas and Percy are tank engines, although Percy is a saddle tank because his water supply is carried in one tank on top of the boiler not in two tanks either side.

Edward, Gordon, Henry, James are tender engines.

:)