The only changes to the 1309 should be things that make her legal and safe to operate. I like those number boards just as they are. I am with Craig. The 1309 is going to be awesome under steam.
Those big brutish appliances on the smoke box of the 1309 give her personality, and make her different than the other articulated engines on the O-gauge market. I hope MTH has a Rail King version of the 1309 in their product planning.