This is my latest - A 520 boxcab, that I repowered with the modified "guts" from a K-Line S2 switcher. As most of us know, the 520 was a no-frills loco, that only had enough power to pull a couple of small freight cars. It didn't even have working lights! I really like the 520, and I own 6 or so, but I wanted one with more power (dual motors), that looked more like the real thing, but could still negotiate O-27 curves if needed, and it had to have lights! The loco will now pull eight 6464 cars, so thst's about 400% more than it could pull when it left the factory! At the end of this build, the only 520 parts I reused were the shell, pantograph, end platforms, and the reverse unit lever (JUST THE LEVER) that sticks through the roof. I wanted to maintain the original "look" of the as-built-by-Lionel 520, so the lever was a must. The powered Alco trucks aren't exactly right, of course, but close enough. I fabricated a new frame, using cut down sections of the K-Line frame, reinforced with brass strip, and I had to come up with a way for the reverse lever to actuate the electrical reverse unit switch that came with the S2 switcher. The bracket that holds the switch itself is actually just just one of the sheet metal weights, drilled, tapped, and then bent at a 90 deg. angle, to hold the switch itself. LED directional lighting was also added, after drilling out all four headlight housings. The clear lenses I made didn't diffuse the light enough, so I painted them white. There was a lot of other work that went into this, but you get the idea. So here it it, along with a stock unit next to it for comparison - start to finish.
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