Thank you for your reply, Colin. Since I posted my original topic, I have looked at a great many tankers on a google search, and you are right. Most tankers do have the bridge on the stern. I did find one tanker that looks to be about the same vintage as the Melanie, and even the bridges are fairly comparable. The tanks look about the size of the hatches on the Melanie too. (That Rix Harrier is cool, but too modern)
I have not started either ship kit, and it looks like converting the Melanie to a coastal tanker shouldn't be too hard. I'll continue to do further research and make notes. The biggest change is obviously the bridge location, and then the tanks. I'll have to trim the hull down to just above the deck along the length between the bow and stern.
I like how the ships bows are higher out of the water than the stern in pictures when they are empty, due to the weight of the bridge.
The Hudson will be built as a freighter, and I really like how she looks just as pictured on the box. No doubt I'll add a few of my own touches.
As I mentioned, the ships will be displayed on a railroad layout, but I want to make them removable so I can operate them sometimes as they are intended to be, RC on the real water. I have some ideas on how to do that... Even now, with just the hulls sitting on the layout, you get a sense of the fact that they are decent sized ships, making the trains look small.
Well, I'll quit blabbing so much and start posting pictures as progress is made. Cheers! Dan