bit off more than I....

Step back, take a deep breath, reprioritize (I know it's not spelled right) your projects.  Joe, you do nice work.  I tend to do the same thing with plastic military models until I have so many needing to be completed I feel like tossing them all.  But, then I would only start over again and do the same thing.  Is that what this hobby is all about?  As long as it makes you happy.

Rick 

Joe,

Remember when you get discouraged that you have guys like me looking up to you for inspiration...

And you have a large scale MP15 to finish, and then you need to build one for me!

No pressure...but we're all counting on you.

Jeff C

 i feel your pain joe...taking an atlas powered hi nose gp35 3 rail and replacing it with a mth ps3 gp35 2 rail guts and trucks as i am DCS only..

Wholly smokes. It's sitting right next to me as I type. More stuff to do.....

Thanks All!

Ok. One at a time. Take a breath. What? The coupler heights are off? Urrggg. More filing and shimming.

Hmmm. A couple days and it's still rough. No plow either. I should have upgraded the air hoses.

I can't handle the pressure!!

Did I ever show the paint job? (too early. still needs more work) been this way for months.

I believe this is a fantasy scheme, so there might not be a right answer?

The pilot step's ends were painted yellow for safety, that matched the handrails.

 I believe they'd look better with white on the edges of the steps. What do you think? What color would they use now?

It looks pretty nice to me.

I was thinking of going the same route as you and 2R-ing one of those unpowered units. You're the man on this one and many of us are following you. No pressure though since you only work for yourself on all this.

Hey, I feel your pain. I have a work desk that has, let me see, 1, 2, 3, 4, ... 7 different partially finished projects on it. What a mess! 

Good evening Joe

I also feel your pain, life would be a lot better if MTH would make all Premier line available with fixed pilots ! I'm converting two RS11's just want the fixed pilots and Kadee's, the hand rails will have to wait. Then there is the project of making all the truck side frames narrower. Then building the coal mine, industrial area, new downtown, finish the power plant, make the narrow gauge logging road, install Kadee on my rolling stock, lower all the to high rolling stock(why does Atlas ride so high), build the hidden storage yard in the crawl space, make the crawl space clean and dry(dirt floor now), finish the display shelfs, install a bunch of switch lanterns,paint the track, always need more trees on the mountains, need high tables and chairs for train room. That is just what I can think of now for the trains if I walk past the layout again I will find a dozen more things to do.

Clem 

I grabbed a Dash 8 narrow nose that I figured would be easy. I noticed it didn't have the pilot mountings either??? UUURRRGGGG!! It can't be that old that it wasn't available in two rail?????? That's what I get for not looking.

Why did I start trading wheels??? I have no memory left. I should have looked at each first. My favorite projects like my scratch built engines and a GP that needs command conversion should have had priority. I've got a triplex that almost runs. Two engines this summer have decided that they want to run slower than all the others. My remote and TIU exchange took a few weeks to straighten out on both layouts. I'm having a nervous breakdown I'll tell ya.
As I get older, I'm losing the ambition to do this hobby as it feels like a four letter word....... W O R K. I know why the new guys want R-T-R!!

Joe,

Those Dash 8s were indeed offered in two rail; I picked up a pair of UPs when they came out in 2008. I haven't looked at mine to see how the pilots are mounted, but my guess is that you have to cut off the ends of the metal frame just behind the step wells and then you will see where the body will accept screws for a fixed pilot. Some other MTH diesels seem to be set up that way, and I recall Laid Off Sick saying he had to do that to convert a three rail dummy wide cab.

Your conversions and pilot castings are very nice. I hear you about the work, though. A few years ago, I went on a tear and converted most of my Atlas fleet to fixed pilots and a few older MTH engines as well. I still have a few candidates sitting around, but there's only so much time in the day for such projects.

RM

Thank you! I didn't even think of that. The sad thing is..... I think I found that out a long time ago.....

crawling forward.....

 Nice work!

If you think they fall short in some way, please send one or all to me and I'll be happy to admire them first-hand!

remember joe,

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can said the little train engine....

just changing the step's edge to yellow....

I don't really compare with the guys here. I don't extend the handrails like I should. I may try just straightening them out. I don't get aftermarket hoses and a better mu cable, like I want.

 That end CSX AC6000 step's aren't evenly spaced. I didn't even see if it had five or six on the real one. I'm just getting sloppy. I say I'll just do it and fine tune it later. (But,) I know I'll never fix them.

 BTW. that CSX AC6000 has been sitting right here on my desk for about two years since I got it (from 30th st).

Joe  

Those pilots look good to me. better than mine. I just use the three rail pilot and add a spacer, then fill in around the coupler.

Clem k 

 Thanks Clem. I've done it several ways now. I was trying to make it easy and better at the same time.

 I would have to make custom pilots for each and every model. I may just add the spacer on the 3 older EMD SDs I still have to do.

 I am wondering if I should just make custom spacers for each model?

I can't stand the big hole in the three rail pilot. By the time I make a spacer, a coupler box surround, and the rest (step area), I could make the whole assembly.

 BTW:Your wheels are now in that CSX ACe. Got to put a set into a CN SD70M-2.

     I'll be putting Jeff's in the SDs. Thanks again to you both!!

Thanks Joe!! Your pilots do look great!! Next up is to extend those handrails. I use brass wire from Tichy Train Group, which is very easy to use. Great job!

Joe, the finished pilots look great!   As Jeff says, once the handrails are extended these will be fantastic looking locomotives. 

As you noted, certainly wouldn't hurt to replace the MU hoses but not absolutely necessary.