Tender truck safety chains?

[mmagliaro]

In the process of working on my 4-6-2, I have a question about a detail I noticed on a brass HO version of the engine I am building.

Below is a super close-up of the tender truck (borrowed from brasstrains.com).

What are the two chains attached to the ends of the truck frame for?  Are they safety chains to keep the trucks from separating
if the tender rolls over in an accident?  Are they for something else?  Are they usually there when the engine is in service
or are they only there for some sort of storage purpose?

Also note, there are what appear to be 4 small riveted plates on the lower body, from the left of the truck to the right.  The left one
has an eyebolt in it to attach the safety chain.  What are the others for?

Thanks for whatever advice you all can provide.  (Click to blow it up big)

[sizemore]

When I was rebuilding a Rivarossi Challenger tender I used Athabasca etched chain that hung down from the tender floor but was never attached to the truck. From most angles it was very presentable. There just wasn't anything scale at the time.

Builders-In-Scale makes some small chain I havent checked to see how scale it may be, its 40 links per inch which is not a bad size.

http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/Builders-In-Scale-Precision-Detail-Black-Chain-p/bis-250.htm
http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/Builders-In-Scale-Precision-Detail-Black-Chain-p/bis-251.htm

You can find 50 link per inch chain in the model ship building categories, I just havent pulled the trigger on anything. I would also check with TrainCat, as he was able to get 52 link per inch chain (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=16164.0).

The S.

[robwill84]

I have a book on the D&RGW that shows how those safety chains worked. A passenger car is derailed on a damaged bridge, and the chains are taunt, obviously the only thing holding the truck in place, with a gap between the body and the trucks. So yes, they are definitely safety chains, and would be used in everyday service.

[mmagliaro]

Thanks robwill84, that is good confirmation.
I am planning on adding them.  I will attach them to the trucks.  It will make things harder to ever disassemble,
but it's awfully rare that I have to remove trucks from a tender.

[Lemosteam]

Max, it looks like the two inner riveted pates are for bolster structure down to the bolster pin, around the curved tank, much like the ribs added under a flat tender, only curved and riveted to the oil tank. the front and rear are obviously for the chanis.

[mmagliaro]

Max, it looks like the two inner riveted pates are for bolster structure down to the bolster pin, around the curved tank, much like the ribs added under a flat tender, only curved and riveted to the oil tank. the front and rear are obviously for the chanis.

John,
I am only half-following what you said.  Can you possibly steal my photo, and draw some lines on it to clarify
what you mean?   The Bachmann chassis has cast details on it in the correct place to simulate what I thought were
support beams.  I was planning on epoxying small rectangular rivet-detailed plates over all all of them, and then drilling
and inserting some brass stanchions into the ones that I need to attach the chains to.