Firebox-tender spacing?

[kvom]

Odd question perhaps.

I did a trial fit of my boiler and chassis last night, and the firebox door is less than 2" from the back edge of the rear footplate. That is a lot closer than most locomotives I've seen. Since I haven't made the drawbar yet, I'm wondering if I need to make it fairly long to make stoking easier and to be able to see the fire while seated on the tender.

[cbrew]

no idea what you are building, but this is a common spacing for the "Allen" locos.
I would just wait and maybe make a couple different drawbars so you can make those adjustments during the first run.

[makinsmoke]

You will have additional clearance between the door and tender if an Allen as the tender does not sit flush with the buffer beam.

Brian

[Bill Shields]

consider more than seeing - consider getting a shovel in.

sometimes 'to scale' just doesn't work with Gulliver sitting on the tender, trying to peer / shovel coal into the firebox.

On my propane fired loco, I installed a glass port-hole in the door and a modified inspection mirror on the drag beam so that I can see what is happening without causing chiropractic traffic.