… these Trix NYC Mikes are sold at incredible low prices at the moment here in Germany. I planned to get a BLI ATSF Mikado when they release their new run next year, but a Trix Mike with ESU sound for 116 EUR (US$ 139), I could not resist. And I don’t regret my decision. The engine looks great and it runs and pulls as well as my Atlas diesels – I didn’t expect this performance from a steamer.
Now I am trying to make my Mike look like an ATSF class 3100 engine. I need a new headlight, a bell for the top of the boiler and a number plate for the front of the smokebox. I hope to get these detail parts next week. Unfortunately, I could not get the train indicator boards you find on ATSF steamers. Perhaps I have to try to scratch build them.
I had to use sanding paper to remove the NYC lettering. Trix does not use decals, they print the lettering. It resisted alcohol and MicroSol.
As a next step, I painted the front of the smokebox and the smokestack silver.

Now I am trying to make my Mike look like an ATSF class 3100 engine. I need a new headlight, a bell for the top of the boiler and a number plate for the front of the smokebox. I hope to get these detail parts next week. Unfortunately, I could not get the train indicator boards you find on ATSF steamers. Perhaps I have to try to scratch build them.
I had to use sanding paper to remove the NYC lettering. Trix does not use decals, they print the lettering. It resisted alcohol and MicroSol.
As a next step, I painted the front of the smokebox and the smokestack silver.


I don’t know if I would have had the courage to paint the engine, if I didn’t have to hide some holes I filled with styrene after I removed some parts which were wrong for an ATSF Mike. Miles, I’ve been thinking about this conversion for a while now and you are right, I should give it a try. You can easily take off the coal load to get access to the screws that hold the body of the tender. So I don’t have to damage the tender and can change back to the coal load if I don’t like the result of the coversion. OK, more to come.



