This is an occasional series on modernizing a Turn of the Century MDC/Athearn 2-6-0 into a version from the 1920's. The conversion starts with a gaudily painted 2-6-0 decorated for the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad. About the only thing correct on the model is the number 425. The C&O acquired two E-6 2-6-0's from the Island Creek Coal company during the teens as a result of a merger. After several number changes the two ended up being numbered 425 and 426 round about 1924, our target year for this conversion. The build will focus more on adding some new details, paint and weathering.
This is a photo of what we are starting with.

I like watching conversion builds.
How much of the original materials of this project will be used but just extended or widened, etc? Or are you going to just scratch build the whole thing over the wheels?

I have an idea to do a re-detail and repaint. The boiler may stay but I'm thinking about possibly changing the cab. It all depends on what I find in the spares box to match any photos that might be discovered in the C&O archives.

The C&O old time 2-6-0 has been disassembled. It was similar to the MDC 1999 kit version. The new boiler is all metal with plastic domes while the old version had a plastic wrapper around a metal core. The cab is the same except for a wiring notch above the mounting tab. The new tender has a coal load and two screw mounting posts. It also has holes for sound and the DCC hook ups inside. Notice the blue Digitrax decoder installed. The MDC old kit boiler with brass stack is unpainted in black.

Hi Brett,

This will be fun and interesting to watch!

Fred, thank you, it should be fun for me too.

Looks like it's going to be an interesting project.

Jim