Definition: 1. A tender is usually a railroad car that "tends" a steam locomotive. The tender runs directly behind the locomotive and carries fuel (wood, coal, or oil) and water to supply the locomotive's steam engine.
Late in the steam era some tenders had fans on top for cooling condensers used to turn the locomotive's spent steam back into water. Condensers reduced the number of stops a steam locomotive had to make to take on water.
2. A tender for a railroad crane railcar runs adjacent to the crane so that the crane's boom may hang over the tender. This kind of tender, also called a "boom car" has a support that the boom is stored on when the car is moving.
Late in the steam era some tenders had fans on top for cooling condensers used to turn the locomotive's spent steam back into water. Condensers reduced the number of stops a steam locomotive had to make to take on water.
2. A tender for a railroad crane railcar runs adjacent to the crane so that the crane's boom may hang over the tender. This kind of tender, also called a "boom car" has a support that the boom is stored on when the car is moving.