To me the Berk in the starter sets does not capture the bulk and look of the Lima S3 Berkshire used as the basis for the movie. The old postwar 726/736 does this much much better as well a being a much better puller. Some even came with a much better looking 12 wheel tender such as my 1946 edition beast with its huge high stack motor for display layout use. Now nothing I am doing cannot be easily undone, so the value of this old girl is still intact. I moved the bell to the boiler face above the headlight and added a brass visor to the headlight, that really helps with making the boiler front look much closer to the movie engine, I wont redecal the tender or engine road number as they are way to crisp on my engine/tender. But I am going to use some thin magnetic material to make new side boards, much as done with the real 1225 up in Michigan when they reletter the tender to Polar Express for the holiday season. I am on the hunt for the snow roof style starter set cars and then some add ons like the conductor and hot choc cars for the sounds they carry. Even without magnatraction, I have no worries loading the old 726 down with a nice long consist once funds permit. Cheers AD
