@0-Gauge CJ posted:Thanks for this info. I did a bit of digging myself for my own curiosity and I had no idea there were so many variations to the tender. I knew there was a K4 version without the dog house, but didn't realize there was more to it than that.
Can anyone definitively confirm that the Q2 tender is longer than a more standard coast-to-coast tender? It looks like it from some pictures posted here but I am not sure. I was thinking of picking up a J1a or an M1 tender shell (would need to wait for the next time they're made, none are in stock) and then swapping the shells. If the Q2 tender is longer, then that idea is, naturally, off the table. I'm starting to think about reaching out to the dealer I pre-ordered with and asking if I can substitute for a short-tender version. This is bothering me a lot more than it should!
Since the poster is talking about swapping tender shells on MODEL TRAINS, this discussion and research on prototype tender lengths is meaningless. It seems like what he needs is for someone who owns an MTH long-tender Decapod, someone owning an MTH Q2, someone owning an MTH M1a/b, someone owning a Lionel M1 a/b, etc. to measure their model tenders. That way, he can decide if a switch of tender shells on the MODELS is workable.
I don't have a dog in this fight, since my 3rd Rail I1, J1 and Q2 tenders are correct. 
