What modification or enhancement to a locomotive or rolling stock are you most proud of?

I like these super detailed Legacy PAs I super detailed the trucks added antennas, added close coupling, kadees and built correct fixed brass pilots for these. Build articles are on forum.

TonkaNut posted:

OK, maybe I am not proud of this modification, especially amongst all the previous serious and talented mods posted before this, but I am stoked that I was able to create a powered freight train without a locomotive. This is a favorite of many of my layout visitors.

TJ

Now that's cool!!!!!!

There are a lot of great work posted and this has turned out to be a pretty good thread.  Besides converting my rolling stock to Kadees, I have finally started on my engines. Recently just finished 2 GP35s,  2 GP9s, and 2 GP30s.

A while back built some CB&Q way cars.

 And Kitbashed a CB&Q U30B

Excellent, Ron!

Well Gentlemen, I am pleased to announce that I have successfully brought another 2034 back from the junk pile. After a new E-Unit, cross heads, and bending the pilot to clear the front wheels, it is running like new. Cosmetically she still looks a little weather worried, but in time that will be corrected. In my experience it seems that the 2026 and the 2034 are the most common locomotives in need of repair.

J DADDY, that is a job none of us want to do.  Good work.  The Acela is a tough one to change tires on.

On this MTH BN GP30 I painted the step rails white, added red paint to the fuel filler areas, painted the lower body frame area near the fuel filler cap a flat black and moved the horn (and painted it) to the left top of the body between the front  and middle radiator fans to make it look more like the prototype.  I also replaced the incandescent headlamps and amber flashing light on the cab with LEDs and had GGG up grade it PS2.  In the future I plan to add the conspicuity tape striping to the lower sides. 

Larry

Now that's something "completely different" TJ 

Great idea for a thread, OGAUGEGUY!  I'm a little late to the party, and have a few "favorites", but I'll start with my very first diesel detailing project.   MTH RailKing Jersey Central ALCo RSD4 #1601 completed in May of 2014...

Started with this...

Then made the following modifications/additions...

• replaced molded-in (non-see-though) cooling fan/grille with metal fan and brass grille
• added corner marker lamps and custom-built brackets
• removed cast-in coupler cut levers and brake hoses from die-cast pilots and replaced with separately-applied versions
• removed all molded-in body grab irons and replaced with separately-applied metal grabs
• added pilot grab irons
• added roof-top grab irons
• added drop steps and safety chains to front and rear pilots
• painted details such as step ends, pilot foot board ends, grab irons, handrails, cut levers, etc.

Then weathered it (of course!)...

...and ended up with this...

I had so much fun the first time I decided to do it all over again to #1604!!

1^st Pic is a three car SP articulated diner set I kit bashed about twelve years ago for a sixteen car quasi authentic Coast Daylight consist  typical for 1941. The 2^nd  Pic shows one of four sets of two car articulated coach’s for the same consist.  This was done several years before 3^rd Rail (Golden Gate?) offered their superior versions.

3^rd & 4^th pics show the car vestibules made from c. 1/8” thick wood bulkheads covered with painted thin Sheepskin leather acquired from a former pipe organ technician. The white foam block inside provides just the right spring action.  

Very nice work on the Daylight. FWIW I think your solution for the diaphragms between the articulated cars is as good as GGD's.

Thanks so much for the gracious complement. I used to enjoy running this sixteen car train (pulled by either a Williams or MTH GS-4) on the San Diego 3-Railers layout in Balboa Park. This 40’x40’ layout let one see the entire train strung out, a truly beautiful sight. Yes, a single motor pulled it all with ease. 

Rich Montague posted:

I suppose my favorites are my fixed pilot modifications and additional detailing. Some examples:

 

Nice work. What manufacturer's models?

I took my MTH RK Dreyfuss Hudson and swapped the chassis with a ESE to get the disc wheels I love instead of the spoked wheels it comes with.

This is my first post on this forum.  Thanks to all who have provided very helpful information on many topics, which I have read during recent weeks.

I have had the train consist in the video since around 1952-3.  It is the consist part of Lionel set 1477S (as detailed in Greenberg's Guide to Lionel Trains Vol II), which was given to me by my grandparents.  Since that time, I have wanted to somehow add a whistle to the tender.

The set was stored away for 30 years until recently.  I decided to try to add a whistle to the tender, and discovered that using a Williams by Bachmann True Blast II (R) Steam sound board would be a good way to add whistle and bell sounds.

In addition to the True Blast II, I needed a way to activate it, and a way to connect to the middle rail.  My only transformer was the 1034, so I decided to purchase a CW-80, after reading many comments about it on line.  A 581-10 roller pickup was added to the forward truck to connect to the center rail.  That installs easily.  AWG 24 high flexibility stranded wire was used to connect to the 581-10.  Fine sandpaper was used to optimize electrical conduction from wheels to the tender frame; truck top surfaces and frame bottom just above each truck's top surfaces were cleaned to bare metal.  A round head machine screw, star-lug, and nut were installed in an existing hole in the frame to electrically connect to the frame, after scraping away the paint immediately around the hole top-side.

I had intended to add center rail pickups to both trucks, but the True Blast II has worked well using only one pickup.

OddIsHeRU posted:

1^st Pic is a three car SP articulated diner set I kit bashed about twelve years ago for a sixteen car quasi authentic Coast Daylight consist  typical for 1941. The 2^nd  Pic shows one of four sets of two car articulated coach’s for the same consist.  This was done several years before 3^rd Rail (Golden Gate?) offered their superior versions.

3^rd & 4^th pics show the car vestibules made from c. 1/8” thick wood bulkheads covered with painted thin Sheepskin leather acquired from a former pipe organ technician. The white foam block inside provides just the right spring action.  

 

 

 

This is great! I started acquiring parts to build a Union Pacific 4800 series articulated diner several years ago. I have thought about how to make the jointed section, but haven't come up with anything workable. I think I will study yours and see if I can build upon what you have done for mine. Thanks for posting.

Michigan & Ohio Valley Lines posted:

My Polar Express Heavyweight observation car lighting and custom built rear...

That truly ia a wonderful, amazing looking mod, Keith. While I might be wrong, I seem to recollect that you'd done a pictorial thread showing step by step exactly how you did it but a forum search has been unable to locate any such post. If there was such a post, Keith, could you please post a link to that thread? Thanks.

Well  at least two things I have done with great success.  I have a S gauge 293 that is a A-one smoker.  I was successful in installing a on- off switch on the rear jack panel. That has worked very well for people that don't care for all the smoke.

The second item was a major uprade of my post war Jersey Central TM.  It didn't have any of the sound parts in it. So lots of room for improvements.  Installed a fuel tank with a speaker,  a ERR DC Commander,  an Alco sound set and converted all the lighting to LED's.  Pics below:

The last two shots are of my Williams scale GG1 with new lighting..

Marty

This is to date, my best accomplishment. My first Lionel engine and my first mod. I just couldn't stop, and I'm still going.

I don't usually post in threads like this but this one got my attention...

Nice hefty list of what I did on these old Weaver U25Bs. Took me at least two months to get all this done.

Some work in progress shots...

And after completion...

I'll have to grab some higher resolution photos of the finished products when I get a chance.

And just for kicks, here's what they looked like out of box, except for the coupler and pilot.

Hope everyone enjoys. These guys haven't left the layout since the overhaul, after sitting on the shelf for a good 10 years or more beforehand.

Steven Michael posted:

I don't usually post in threads like this but this one got my attention...

Nice hefty list of what I did on these old Weaver U25Bs. Took me at least two months to get all this done.

Some work in progress shots...

And after completion...

I'll have to grab some higher resolution photos of the finished products when I get a chance.

And just for kicks, here's what they looked like out of box, except for the coupler and pilot.

Hope everyone enjoys. These guys haven't left the layout since the overhaul, after sitting on the shelf for a good 10 years or more beforehand.

What did you do for the marker lamps? Also any interior upgrades? Any Electrical Upgrades?

Mark, the marker lamps are painted on. I used a dark red to represent the lens itself (looking back this should have been a tan color to represent a clear lens), surrounded by a ring of silver. Takes a fine brush and a lot of patience. As for everything inside, all I did was reseat the bulb for the rear headlight which had fallen out of place. I didn't touch the electronics, they have stock EOB which is perfectly fine by me, it's reliable and it gets the job done.

Actually, I take that back about the lenses...

It's been a while, guess I chose red for a reason.

I took a common Lionel RSD4 like this one...

and converted it to a C&O RSD5...

Recently did these..

From this...

to this...

attempting to model this...

and this one...

from this...

to this...

attempting to make it look like this...

almost forgot about this one...

Created from a simple K-Line flat...

attempting to model this...

These are all G scale (1/32) and I am glad I built them (or just modified the F40PH) . I'll be proud if I ever finish them. There's always so much to do to keep things running that I don't have the time to do what they deserve to get them correctly finished.

The main reason I left G scale as my main focus, was all the equipment that was readily available in O scale. Most releases in G scale were in the older eras. I still also watch HO scale to see the amazing quantity of modern stuff that comes out. 

Love that RSD5 mark! What a difference 

An older Atlas SW9, with Dallee electronics, add TMCC and sound. 

Slideshow

@Mike CT posted:

An older Atlas SW9, with Dallee electronics, add TMCC and sound.

Slideshow

Mike ....your slideshow link is dead. Might you have it somewhere else? I'm thinking of getting one of those old, Dallee equipped SW9's and convert it.

Do these old SW9s have the same bodies/shells as your newer ones. Same nice details?

Thanks,
Jim

Kit bashed a PRR Centipede and a Shark to make a CNJ Babyface.

These four Lionel Legacy GP7's redone for SL-SF:

This is a Lionel Alaska RR GP7 from a set break up.  It was originally all blue with a black chassis.  I add all the yellow paint on the shell, a winterization hatch on a roof fan and swapped the chassis from a Maritime Exploration GP7 so now the chassis is yellow and it has rudimentary rail sounds.

I was bored and had a few spare K-line trucks, lego parts, and a Transformers figure who turns into a construction crane through "parts forming" (basically just take the guy apart and put him together in another form)

After some creative restructuring I found a way to put two 5mm ports commonly used for adding weapons and armor for Transformers figures on the bottom, attached two Lego technic pins to the ports, and then attached the K-line trucks to the ports. Now the Autobot "Ironworks" has gone from being an immobile crane to a slightly more mobile railroad crane.

Whenever one of these threads turns up, I like to show off these MPC Delaware & Hudson Alcos that I "completed" the paint scheme on. The basics of the scheme was there, but just like their MPC Santa Fe counterparts, the nose color continued onto the pilot while the trucks and frames were left black. And of course, no headlight grille details and a single freight horn instead of a passenger-style chime horn. They came out rather nice with a bit of careful paintwork, including the PA-style "eyebrow" chrome strip.

Eric, 

Very classy!