I do commend Lionel for offering the Dockside in the Reading Locomotive Shop livery, but there are quite a few details that differ. So... I'm going to fix that.
Since I was going to be doing some surgery, I didn't bother trying to find the Reading model. I got a great deal on one from the "Thunder Valley" starter set on eBay. I took the dremel to it today and here's where I'm at so far:
I've fabbed up a bracket to move the headlight to, eliminated the (frankly silly looking) sand domes, and I'll fabricate the side sand boxes from the prototype. I had intended to shorten the smokebox but it's chock full 'o smoke unit and I don't want to give up the smoke unit. I did remove the front number board and I'll make a correct rectangular one from styrene. I've got a steam generator and air pump casting on the way, and I'll relocate the bell to the engineer's side of the stack. Obviously it's not going to be perfect to the last detail, but it's going to be a lot closer. I will need to find (or have made) decals for the "Locomotive Shop" lettering on the tank, but I have everything else I need. And honestly I can probably live with it just saying "READING" for a while. This is also going to be my testbed for weathering a steam locomotive with my airbrush before I turn it on my T-1 2102.
1251 not only survives at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, but it was the last Reading Steam Locomotive in regular service. It also inspired one Reading hogger to pass on retirement so he could continue to hostle the 1251 at Reading Yards:
