The Home Machinist!

Center plate.

Left plate.

Right plate.

Nice job. Love the workmanship. No doubt about it...a unique pilot. Want to ask...how thick are the plates you're pressing? Just curious.

But have to chuckle...WHY would the RR opt to change their pilots from a flue pipe pilot to a series of ribbed plates? Easier to build? Less man-hours? Or was it because the engine/train crews got tired pulling central Illinois cows out of the tube pilots? ...or other? Carl B.

Carl, thank you. The plates are 16 gauge. I am not sure why the IC decided to make these pilots. Most of the engines coming out of a rebuild got one.. Then later on as steam was bumped to secondary work , a lot of them had the outside plates removed and replaced with foot boards. I am trying to get the pilot and a jacket finished in time to bring it to your 50th anniversary run. Ray III

Pilot is welded. Still need to clean it up a bit before painting.

Actual IC mikado pilot.

Pilot is finished just in time for the ILS meet.

Side view.

The coupler on the front of this IC Mike is very special to me. It was made by Jim Adams. He worked for the IC from the 40's to 1976. In 1954 he was working on a 7 1/2 2-8-0. He needed couplers so he made his own patterns and took them to Paducah ,Ky. He said they called it a government job when you did something for yourself at work. So this coupler was cast in the Paducah shop by the IC in 1954. Jim is 104 now and is as sharp ever.

Man, we need a 'Like' button for times like this! Really nice job. And fantastic to read the history behind the pilot. A real pleasure to see such a recreation in miniature.

Glenn

Thank you Glenn, the engine has been running for a while now. It has been fun to finally start the cosmetic part of this build. Ray III