After much bouncing back and forth of voicemails with Athearn (they arent available when I am and vice versa) I have discovered that road pilots are available from the manufacturer.
After re-checking my facts now I will re-state my request. Does anyone know where I can find a road pilot for the athearn Mikado? The Maine Central USRA Mikados all had Road Pilots on them, vice footboard pilots. I was looking at a picture of a MEC designed Mikado that had a footboard pilot.
My photo source for all New England steam: https://sites.google.com/site/mainecentralrailroad/home/2-6-0-type/2-8-0-type/2-8-2-type
I might have a couple of them if I get around to changing them for the boiler-tube style. I'm not sure, though, what the surface of the pilot deck will look like when I remove the air reservoir:
EDIT: I've just now taken apart one of mine and the pilot has been removed. I've sent you a PM with some additional information.
Wayne
Frank,
I was just stating a fact, but thank you for clarifying.
Andrew
Also
Does anyone know where i can get a footboard pilot for an Athearn Mikado?
BMMECNYC,
The link I supplied above, both pilots are discussed, along with how-to.
Frank
Well thank you for all the info. It turns out that I have one of each footboard and road pilot (2 locomotives).
This is a very easy conversion. Remove the dummy coupler and enlarge the opening in the pilot to accept a #5 draught gear box - this requires, if I recall correctly, only that the opening be widened. Next, use sheet styrene to construct a shim for the underside of the pilot deck: it should be similar in size to the Kadee box, and .060" thick. Use contact cement to affix it to the underside of the deck, then slip the pre-assembled coupler and draught gear into the opening in the pilot and cement it in place using a solvent-type cement. The front of the Kadee gear box should protrude from the pilot about .060" beyond the moulded-on representation of the draught gear box on the front of the Athearn pilot.While it's usually preferable to use a screw for coupler mounting, especially on a loco, this is much neater and sufficiently strong - my locos are almost always double-headed on heavy trains, and have never experienced a failure.
Recently, I re-equipped my Mikes with modified pilot trucks from Bachmann's Bershires, as I like the appearance of the outside bearing trucks. The Kadee draught gear box, however, is too long at the rear, and interferes with the swing of these trucks. To correct this, I replaced them with modified #5 boxes and Kadee's #158 scale couplers, although any standard shank Kadee "whisker-type" couplers will work. The advantage in this situation is that the bronze centering spring is not needed, which allows the rear of the coupler box to be removed. I cut mine back so that the box ends just slightly aft of the rear of the coupler, as shown below:
Either the standard #5 in its own draught gear box or any of the standard shank "whisker" couplers in a #5 box will work with the stock Athearn lead truck. The advantage of the #5 box over many other Kadee boxes is that it is styrene and can be cemented in place, while many of the other types are now engineering plastic and must be screwed in place.
Go to Kadee's web site and you will find a section for conversions for almost all locomotives and rolling stock. Not only will it tell you what coupler to use, but there are illustrated instructions to show how much to remove from where, if that is necessary.
Good luck,
Richard
I have three, but have not done them yet.
Here is someone that has:
http://www.tonystrains.com/technews/front_couplers_ath.htm
Hope That Helps.
Has anyone done this? The removal looks pretty simple. I was thinking of attaching a Kadee couplerbox with a long shank coupler behind the pilot beam, it looks like there might be enough room there, but I am open to any suggestion.