fixed pilot on Lionel diesels

I would say so. I owned an atlas RS1 which is a smaller diesel yet in some instances the reduced coupler travel would have it derailing the rolling stock it was coupled to when it was pushing the train through switches.

I would think you could cut it free and glue it to the underside of the frame like many of us have done to Williams engines. However, it will only be able to go around 042 or larger curves after that.

Rob

"Someone mentioned just gluing the pilot, but you cannot keep a truck-mounted coupler unless you are running on curves so broad you would never have considered three rail in the first place"

Oh YES you can and I do. All my F3 diesels still have truck mounted couplers with fixed pilot and I run them on 042, 054, and 072 just fine. Is 042 too broad?

Even in N scale Kadee couplers come with screws to attach the couplers to the car body. For those who want it to be prototypical it's the way to go. But really whats the point? Tin plate rail,a third rail at that and non prototypical beveled wheels.

kadee's couple great but I don't like the way they uncouple and in O scale they're going to be expensive not to mention a headache to install.
Another thing is once you go to kadee's it's either them or nothing because your stock couplers won't work with them. Me I think in the toy train scale(O) it's a waste of time.

David

Apart from Lionel and some older MTH,  K-Line, etc. converting 3-rail to Kadees is not really much of a stretch of the imagination.

Weaver makes installing Kadees a breeze, one thing I can give them credit for.  Atlas O is not monstrously difficult to convert (Kadees, not their own 2 rail couplers).  Select K-Line scale rolling stock as well as current MTH rolling stock and locomotives come with pre-drilled Kadee coupler mounting holes under the frame.

Also, it's not true that Kadees won't work with 3-rail couplers.  I do it all the time.  Their 800 series couplers that have been around for ages are designed in a way where the coupler knucke grabs and holds onto the 3-rail knucke.  Only on fairly sharp curves can you run into issues with them not working well together.  Their new 700 series couplers, well, that's a different story.  The new design resulted in the knuckle not staying closed when coupled against 3-rail couplers but the 800 series still work fine.

Rob,

My experience, admittedly with a different engine (SD40-2), with the toy coupler and a glued pilot was instant derailment, on 072 curves no less, but I'm glad it works for you. The original poster can try your way. If it works, great, but on some engines it won't. Then its drills, etc.

David,

What I've done is hardly a waste of time, third rail or no. All things being equal (i.e., as between two engines both operating on three rail track) the one with the fixed pilots and other improvements will be the more visually appealing of the two. I don't suggest that everyone has to enjoy their trains the way I do (and I certainly I didn't mean to divert this thread into a debate on the merits of Kadees), but I certainly wouldn't suggest others' approach is a "waste of time."

RM

I have "fixed the pilots" on several diesels of various brands; this is somewhat over-

simplified, but: drop the  truck, unscrew the pilot, cut off the truck-mount tongue,

determine the filler shim's shape and thickness (I've used both styrene and basswood),

drill and tap 2 holes (2-56 or so) in the metal frame and through the pilot, screw together. Measure and test-fit a lot.

Done. Paint as appropriate when appropriate. I've never tried just glue/epoxy/etc, and

I usually only bother now with cab locos like PA1's. I have done hood units, though.

All my home-brewed fixed mountings have left the truck-mounted coupler system 

intact.

I just put the fixed pilot on my Altas NYC Erie-Built A-unit - the front electrocoupler

was broken (Atlas packaging...feh!) between the factory and my house anyway - looks nice, and having a fixed pilot option from the factory was so simple.

Hi David,

This comment...

But really whats the point? Tin plate rail,a third rail at that and non prototypical beveled wheels.

....had a bit of a jagged edge to it.  Not sure if you meant to barb the comment or not.  Regardless, we all do things in this hobby that create the appeal we want.  Of course my toy railroad has Ross track with a third rail and my O96 curves are way tighter than than the the RR tracks in in real world, but I still like to create the best illusion of reality that I can.  If you look at Dennis Brennan's Sandy Harbor Ry whether in photos or in person (I am lucky enough to have seen it in person) you don't notice (well, I didn't) notice the third rail or the wheels on the cars/engines. 

Anyway, in regard to the pilot truck on my Lionel UP U-Boats, for me, it is less a concern with emulating the prototype and more an interest in what looks cool to me.  I just don't like to see the pilot truck pivot.  I think the engine would look cooler if the pilot was fixed, it is that simple. 

Great pics again Rich!