For the period reviewed, 1971-1993, TYCO's Texas and Tender 2-10-4
makes only one appearance. The 1973-74 catalog presents this giant steam engine as 'NEW!' and prices it at $35.00 in a ready-to-run
version lettered for Pennsylvania. The Texas steamer carries the '239' model number and no kit version is shown for it.
The Texas 2-10-4 first appears in TYCO's 1968-69 catalog during the Red Box Era. Listed
then as a new item, the Texas is found with Santa Fe lettering. The Texas is back in the 1969-70 catalog with C&O
markings. As with the Pennsy example from the '70s, none of these locos were ever known to have been produced by TYCO.
To date, I have not found anyone with an example of this TYCO steam
engine in their collection. The story is that the tooling was completed on it, but they couldn't make this monster compatible
with TYCO's standard 18"-radius curves. When Mantua began offering steam engines under their own name again in the late
'70s, they reportedly had the molds for the 2-10-4 in their possession. Sadly, this steam engine never surfaced from
Mantua either. Mantua ceased offering trains in late 2001.
