Hi folks, I just completed the MTL conversion of my LL 2-8-8-2. There might be someone interested, so I post the results : The front takes 1015, but it must be the NEW 1015 with extra shims, not the old one with that thick lid. You don't need shims here, but you should tap the hole and use a screw. A short one from my collection of MTL-supplied screws worked, it has the correct length (short!) and is also black, e.g. almost invisible. For the tender I found that you have two choices : 1. use the suppled holding pin and fiddle with shims and a 1015, there is a problem because the downside of the holding plastic part is not entirely level, which leads in coupler boxes bent upwards. You could solve the problem by filing that step away. OR 2. use the hole behind the coupler mounting, tap it and use a 1016. This has exactly the correct length, and the coupler box will not "peek out" of the back of the tender. I chose 2. and everything looks good. Maybe someone else could use this information. The engine looks so good that I am tempted to order another one, from the second run, could be the still "inofficial" PRR version. Best wishes to all of you, and a Happy New Year 2003 with lots of new N-models in transition era, late steam and early diesel Christoph
Thanks for the tip Christoph, I still have to put couplers on the pilot of mine. I'm using the Kato Mikado tender to match my prototype better.
I used Christoph's idea for the 1016 on the tender and after I tapped it, it looks great. Thanks again, Cristoph. Pray59, I might suggest you try a tender from the Atlas/Samhongsa USRA 2-8-8-2. I don't know how easy they are to find, but I have one and it is a easy swap. The pin lines up just fine with the LL tender. Bob
