DRGW 2-10-2 tenders (2 styles)

[jasnoy]

DRGW 2-10-2's were delivered with short Vanderbuilt tenders. Much later some were replaced with tenders from secondhand N&W locos (maybe 2-8-8-2s) which were scrapped in the '40s. What type/class tenders were these and who makes a HO plastic version? I'm planning to kitbash a forthcoming Bachmann Spectrum 2-10-2 undecorated loco into a DRGW version. A source of reference photos would also be helpful.
Joe

[twhite]

The rectangular tenders were applied to the F-81's between 1947 and 1949, and came from the second-hand N&W 2-8-8-2's acquired by the railroad during WWII, which were assigned the L-109 class and numbered from 3550 up. The tenders were 12-wheel type, had a capacity of 23 tons of coal and 16,000 gallons of water. The tender made by P2K for their first run of USRA mallets (Y-3 on the N&W) would be the closest to prototype you could get in plastic. I understand that the forthcoming Spectrum is a 'light' USRA 2-10-2. The F-81's were delivered to the Rio Grande in 1917, but are not a USRA-style locomotive. And at 81,000 lbs TE, they were even heavier than the 'heavy' USRA 2-10-2. At the time of their delivery, they were the biggest non-articulated locomotive in the United States, and remained one of the heaviest 2-10-2's in the country throughout their service. The reason I'm saying this, is that if you plan on converting a Spectrum, the boiler will probably turn out to be WAY too small. Actually, the long-delayed BLI ATSF 2-10-2 might be a closer match for you size-wise, (plus having a similar deck-mounted Elesco FW system) and the Santa Fe tender, converted to coal, would be within the ball-park, with a doghouse installed. The reason I say this, is that some years back, I had a 'junk-box' PFM brass ATSF 2-10-2 that with some sawing, hacking and soldering, turned into a relatively fair representation of a Rio Grande F. I think the BLI would be a better start than the Spectrum.
Tom

Tom [:D]

[dknelson]

According to N.J. International's soft cover book "USRA 2-8-8-2 series" (Classic Power 3), published around 1980 or so, the D&RGW bought several used engines from the N&W during WWII, including two Z-1a class 2-6-6-2s and 15 Y-2a 2-8-8-2s which as Tom notes above were the DRGW's Class L-109. According to the book's text which I think is all by N&W expert Thomas Dressler "the most notable change was the elimination of the upper deck mounting of the air reservoirs which were then mounted on the boiler top .... With the replacement of these air tanks, the coal bunker portion of the tender was built up for added coal capacity." This is shown in two photos in the book. There is no mention of modification upon the re-use of these tenders but the photos seem to show two somewhat different methods of building up the coal capacity. Tom mentions using the tender from the P2K Y-3. Another contender (pun intended, sorry) would be the relatively inexpensive brass model that Bowser sold for many years -- it had the side sills and trucks of the prototype and I think it is the accurate tender for a Y-2.
It was still shown as late as the 1988 Walthers catalog (part 006-150039; $32.95) but was gone by 1990. Who knows maybe Bowser has one or two sitting around their shop.
Dave Nelson