Already owning a successfully modified Argentinian 2-10-2 (Bachmann) and Bolivian 2-10-2 (Mehano), I would also like to add a Brazilian 2-10-4 to my South American fleet. All these engines are meter gauge engines in reality, so having them run as HO models is already a compromise. I´m not a perfectionist, so I´m already happy when the model resembles the prototype to some acceptable degree.
The first 2 photos show those Texans built by Baldwin for Brazil. The next 2 photos show those Texans built by Henschel (Germany) for Brazil. The German Texans were built for the Central do Brasil railway in 1938, followed by the Baldwin Texans for the same railway in 1940. I don´t know what happened to the German Texans, but the Baldwin Texans had a very long working life: 50 years! From mid 50s they were sold from the Central do Brasil railway to the Noroeste do Brasil railway, and from there they were sold to the Ferrovia Tereza Cristina railway, where they were running until retirement in 1990! In the beginning when working for the Central do Brasil railway, they were coalburners. After changing to the Noroeste do Brasil, they were converted to woodburners, and finally reconverted back to coalburners while working for their final owner Ferrovia Tereza Cristina. I would prefer modeling the woodburning Noroeste do Brasil version, as I totally like woodburners and think it adds very much to railroading romance. I think a tender with wood load is much more interesting to watch than a tender with oil bunker.
But I still have to decide: should I model the Baldwin or the Henschel Texas? The decision is dependent from what is available and suitable for me: My abilities are limited. I can´t do all types of work. For example I could never elongate the boiler of an engine just to make it longer in order to have space for a 4 wheel trailing truck. I have to take what is available. The Rivarossi B&O 2-10-2 is no choice at all for me as well as the BLI AT&SF 2-10-4 #3829, because the Ri
If you really want to get kit bashing extend the firebox. The firebox size on a 2-10-2 might not be as large as the 2-10-4. A wood burner, you need all the grate area you can and 3 firemen heaving logs constantly with the firebox door open unless they ground up the wood to coal sized and used the stoker. If you don’t kitbash look for the 4 wheel trailing truck to fit. obvious pic studies and detail differences and hack and slash to fit, doing as much or little to represent your prototype. That looks like a huge 2-10-4 for standard gauge made for meter gauge, easy on the curves!
That´s my problem: Like I already wrote down: I´m not able to do all kinds of work. Extending the firebox/boiler is something I can´t do. Well, the firebox of the Brazilian Texas is not very big. Looks ok also for a 2-10-2. They could have made it bigger if they really wanted. But I guess that´s because initially these were coalburners which were later converted to woodburners. Yes, these meter gauge Texans, especially the German one, look really huge for meter gauge. Germany never had Texas types, but I wouldn´t be surprised if that meter gauge Texas for Brazil is bigger than or at least as big as Germany´s biggest steamer (Class 45 2-10-2)! Would you also go for that Precision Scale Commonwealth trailing truck?
And how would you decide in my place?
a) Take Bachmann model to model the smaller Baldwin Texas
b) Take the Mehano model to model the bigger Henschel Texas
c) Take the Mehano model to model the smaller Baldwin Texas
For me, option a) isn´t really an option because of the unfortunate construction of the Bachmann model. So I´m still undecided yet if I should chose option b) or c). I think that b) would the best and most reasonable choice, as the overall appereance and size of the Mehano model would be appropriate for the Henschel Texas. But on the other hand, I really would love to have a woodburner with a nice big load of wood in an rectangular tender…
it looks like the firebox of the 2-10-2 may be close to the same size as the 2-10-4, but the cab is pushed in towards the boiler making the firebox extend further into the cab, making a small crawlspace for the engineer/fireman. If the cab is a separate piece it could be easy to nudge it backward making a new mounting or walthers goo hold. It would may need a longer drawbar to the tender depending on fit, you can get drawbars from greenwaybrass. If the 4 wheel trailing truck operationally works, nudging the cab back might more esoterical than needed if your compromising for best possible look, just doing some cosmetic tweaks to suit.
Yes, the cab is pushed towards the boiler a bit, and the new cab I would place a bit more backwards in order to make the locomotive look longer. Cab removal is very easy with the Mehano model. The original cab is a separate piece and is fixed with 2 snaps and isn´t difficult to take off. For the new cab I would find my very own way how to fix it to the boiler as it depends on the construction. But it shouldn´t be a problem. The drawbar is actually too long, so placing the new cab a bit more backward will only improve the overall appereance as it would shorten the space between engine and tender which is definetly too large because the original drawbar is too long. That´s why my 2 Mehano 2-10-2´s already have modified drawbars in order to shorten the space: one has an extra hole drilled in while the other has a bent drawbar.
Now I will see how I will decide.
If I model the Baldwin Texas, I will need to attach a smokebox-mounted bell and modify the cab a little bit. But finding some matching trailing truck will be an issue as those offered by Precisio Scale do not resemble the prototype a bit. Also the tender will be a lot of work as I need to find a rectangular one with straight top (or straighten the top) and then install a fence that will hold the wood logs in place.
If I model the Henschel Texas, I will need to reposition the headlight from the center of the smokebox door to the top of it as well as moving the bell to one boiler side between the stack and first dome, removing the original pilot and add a matching one and install a whole new cab from a German steam locomotive because it has a tilted cab which is so characteristic for German engines. The trailing truck and the tender will be an easy thing here because very similar trailing trucks are available from Precision Scale and the Bachmann C&O VC12 tender is defintely coming very close to the prototype and for sure is the best choice.
greenway brass may have other trailing trucks, perhaps check Bowser/Cal Scale. Trying to think of any other steam loco parts, except scan the model makers and see if they have surplus parts for their engines.