I am moving to 1:20.3 and while I liked my “Annie” I was never quite satisfied with it. It did not “look right” as a 1:22.5 nor as a 1:20.3. I bought her on ebay a year or so ago, NIB cheap. Then I found a silver ‘balloon’ stack, some extra spectrum trucks, brass striping, and a can of Rustoleum looking for purpose in life. Combined with a woody shrub in front of the house that needed trimming and I am now happy with the Annie. Adding the trucks raised the tender height so the “floor” lined up with the cab. The ‘oatmeal’ coal load was replaced by shrub bits, and the stack was replaced. A tighter fitting draw bar was added and a Spectrum body mounted coupler was screwed to the back of the tender to mate with 1:20.3 rolling stock. At first I was going to paint the trucks black but when I did a “dry run” I decided I liked them the way they are. A set of metallic gold “Pacific Coast” dry transfers will be on their way shortly. A plug for Barry of BBT, he supplied the new front truck assembly. I think the stack and 1:20.3 trucks really made it “fit”. Your opinions may vary…
