I had been looking for a LIRR C-420 for a few years to go with my MTH Worlds Fair LIRR coaches. After no luck I spoke with Harry Heike about a custom paint job. I sent him a Lionel C-420 Alaska low cab. Things didn't start well because after receiving this engine and opening up from Lionel shipping box and insert, the shell had broken off the frame. All the screws were sheared off from the frame despite properly packed for shipping.
The paint job was the easy part. Getting the body back on the frame was another matter. Harry had to drill out the sheared off screws and then try to refill screw holes with plastic styrene. After trying to put in new screws it was obvious that this would not work. He then was able to find some kind of "Special screws" that would screw directly into engines catwalk. Success!
Thank you Harry. I now have a 1 of a kind LIRR C-420 low cab. ( LIRR did not have any low cab C-420 's to my knowledge.
