The 4-6-0 Tyco Dixie-Belle, to which I have added many details, is simple to produce: The addition of Kemtron braces, bell, and old-time whistle all make the loco more attractive, but they are all very easy to do when building the original kit: just substitute the better-made Kemtron parts.
As a matter of fact, I obtained the locomotive ready-to-run because it was cheaper than a kit and so had to do things in somewhat odd order. This was my first piece of motive power, and the result of a new paint-job and a few easily available detailing parts soon convinced me one could turn a ready-to-run product into a custom-looking engine with much less agony than I had thought possible. This loco taught me a basic law of railroad modeling: don't be afraid to make a mistake, just do it over.
The loco and tender were painted with Floquil grimy black from a spray can and brushed-on caboose red. Since the engine is supposed to work around the limestone crusher in Albion, I gave it a heavy coating of dust. The important point about this modification is that because I left alone the motor and gearing, the headlight, and the handrails, it was very easy to accomplish in these simple stages. [Detailing the tender]
