This is a project I had in mind for a while but had to locate the starting point and one not ridiculously priced. The starting point is an IHC/Mehano 2-10-2. They are some-what hard to find because from what I have heard they lost their importer shortly after they came out so they are around just not in the numbers of other IHC engines and with any collection hobby small numbers means high prices.



I picked it up at the Greenberg show in Oaks in December. Right out of the box it's a good quiet runner pulling about as much as a spectrum 2-8-0. There is a lot of room to add weight which I did so it now pulls quite a bit more. After a couple weeks of work in between holiday festivities here is where its at.



The tender frame got extended a little and has a new shell, the shell isn't totally done in its base structure but the major shaping is done. The engine shell got an I-10 smokebox front, mostly because it fit perfectly, the original firebox area got extended a little, I also used the original back head detail and shaped the wootten off it. The rods are an I-10 transplant (side rods are original) I also used the I-10 cylinders. Took some time to get it running right figuring out all the little tweaks but now its nice and smooth. I had it running in its current state to test the added weight. It will get more weight where ever I can add it to make it pull like the world's largest 2-10-2. I planning on stuffing the air tanks and the domes with weight. I plan on doing one of the N-1 converts with the split domes. And with lack of a boxpok center driver it will be the pre rebuilt version.

The drivers are just a little smaller then they should be but are far better in size then the bachmann light 2-10-2. But its like if it had 59" drivers instead of 61.5" its very close. I do have a spectrum 2-10-2 I bought a while ago so I have some comparison pictures. A little blurry, couldn't get my camera to focus but its gets the point across.



Then an overall size difference with approximate tender location after cab instillation.

That's a great start Casey. Can't wait to see the finished product!

I am looking forward to this project and it's outcome your work is GREAT! If you have access to it Mainline Modeler May / June 1981 has a great article on these beasts, plus an HO scale drawing to help take out some guesswork. I liked the side by side comparison with the Spectrum, I kicked the idea of a Lehigh Valley unit with the 55" drivers and Bethlehem tender booster with mine. Now its time to hunt done an IHC unit to put in inventory.

I have thought of the LV 2-10-2 myself, its part of the ever growing list of possible projects. Eventually I will get around to some LV and CNJ projects I'd like to do.

looking good so far Casey.

Here's a couple more weeks of work. Most of the cast details are in place, and the less obvious modifications is the draw bar is set so the tender is in its final position set for 26" radius, it might do tighter but I haven't tried it on 22". Even on the 26" curve it looks really tight, the engine is so long the cab really swings out, but it works. All the weight I added really helps when testing clearances it was starting to slip at 42 athern/accurail/bowser 2 bay hoppers and the 13 ahm 4 bay hoppers in the I-10 video so with the caboose it was a 56 car train. I had to rebuild the scratch built front coupler pocket since the lead truck was hitting a more conventional kadee coupler pocket, the one shown it much shorter with a modified coupler set with a pin going through the styrene, basically nothing goes behind the molded pilot beam so the front truck can't hit anything. Because of these problems I probably won't build much of the frame under the firebox, but as it sits on the engineers side its already rather hidden.




Side note, the engine is so big I have had to switch to my high quality custom cardboard and packing tape spray booth for pictures.