2-6-6-2 power train

[traingeek]

Greetings,  Has anyone tried to break up  the 2-6-6-2 power train to make a mechanism for a six coupled loco such as a 2-6-0 or 2-6-2 ? 

[Dave R.]

I broke up my 2-6-6-2 power train when I dropped it about a
month ago. The led mechanism came off but still hangs
loosely by the pick-up wires.
I haven't returned it to B'mann yet because I've been seriously
considering cutting down the boiler, moving the smoke-box
over the back cylinders... adding a pilot and pony wheel and
making a 2-6-2 Prairie out of it.
I have the tools and skill to pull it off but am not sure about
the historicity of the project.
I'm open to ideas.
Dave R.

[lvrr325]

Seems to me the hard part would be re-installing a front pilot of some sort.  The rest should be pretty straightforward, I don't believe it requires the front drive wheels to be attached for it to run.  They're going pretty cheap on eBay if Favorite Spot is still running them.   I got a guy to sell me one shipped for $129 a while back, no sound, but hard to go wrong there. 

Wonder if the spare set of drivers would work for me to make a working 2-6-0 out of my static plastic kit?  Haven't had much luck finding an IHC 2-6-0 for a price I want to pay. 

[traingeek]

One more question.  What is the driver size? Thanx,  Dave

[Dave R.]

The drivers are 0.669 inch.

"...the hard part would be re-installing a front pilot "
The hard part will be cutting two inches out of the boiler!
I think the replacement pilot for the B'mann on30 Mogul
might work, use the pony wheel from the front drivers and
make a 0-6-0 yard goat from the leftovers.
I'm worried about the firebox being in the wrong: if the
Prairies were made to burn bituminous coal, the box would
have to be behind (not between) the last pair of drivers??
Dave

[lvrr325]

Since posting I looked at the directions and I believe the boiler would have to be sectioned, perhaps the best place to hide the seam would be right at the cab front.  The drivetrain itself uses a universal shaft between the worm gears and would be pretty easy to remove.  If you can drill and tap to relocate screws, it should be relatively easy, I still think the hardest part will be extending the frame for mounting a pilot truck and the pilot itself, unless you put it on just for decoration and don't pull any cars with the front coupler.