I ended up getting the dome off with a Dremel tool, cutting off enough that I was able to heat what pieces were left enough to melt the solder. Needless to say that dome won't be re-used! Yes, PSC, Wiseman, and Stevenson are my go-to vendors for detail parts. Great service from all three.
The teardown is pretty much done, and now parts are going back on. The original pilot looked very toy-like, so I decided to almost entirely replace it. I'm freelancing this on a typical Porter or Baldwin tank engine, which typically used oak pilot beams. Hmmm, how to model that... how about oak?
Here I've fitted the new cowcatcher to the new pilot beam, added the original coupler mount, and drilled for the lift bar. The original pilot deck is behind, and what will be a pilot air tank is below. I've shortened the frame by about 15 scale inches, so now the "front porch" won't be so big.
Here are a few more parts, almost ready to go on:
Next is the step that concerns me most: mounting the pickup rollers and getting it wired and running. I prefer the cosmetic stuff!
