I have been buying brass engines on ebay for over ayear now, and I noticed several different manufacturers make the 2-10-0 decapods. However, some have dog houses, some don't, and each one looks to be a bit different. How many manufacturers are there of the Brass 2-10-0 and which one is most accurate?
Will .. Others probably are able to answer this better than me. As far as I can remember, there have not been very many. A 2-10-0 is sort of a rare bird among railroads and model makers. One of the logging roads of the Northwest, I believe, actually had a decapod - but the road name escapes me. PFM made the "Frisco" version. Perhaps someone else made one that I do not know about. Bowser made a Pennsylvania version (not brass) but that was 25 years ago. Someone was going to do an "O" Scale for the Frisco, but I do not think it was ever produced. I have not seen one of the Bachmann type, so I cannot pass judgement on it. The photo's of it look pretty good from what I can see.
The PFMs are the best of the lot. The Botchman is OK for a plastic engine, but the doghouse is offset and a pain to make right. But they can be had cheap. The PFM last run is a beauty with the cab interior and can motor.
In HO, United thru PFM had several runs, the last run being a very nice model with a can motor and boiler backhead detail. The earlier models had an open frame motor that stuck into the cab but still ran very well. Sunset produced a meagerly detailed decapod, but I've yet to get one. Sunset also produced an O-scale (two-rail, I think) version. I'd like to find a Sunset model, but they're very scarce. I do have a pre-cut brass O-scale decapod kit from "Locomotive Workshop", but haven't tried to build it. I believe that all the brass Frisco decapods that I've seen have had a doghouse. I guess the manufacturers thought that it added "charm". Anyone, am I missing anything? Darren McNeely
