Specialise.
Another easy way to spot these very old LGB items is the coupling, yours has a D shaped coupling rather than the usual rectangle. I also had a Fiery Elias with a D coupling which constantly derailed the coach behind on one bend on the very branchline I bought the loco for, it turned out the hook on these old couplings can't move side to side enough and catches in the coupling of the coach.
I faced similar issues when I converted to reversible couplings in the early 1980s and all my older locos had to be modified.
Chassis extension blocks were available from LGB to replace the ones with the built in old style couplings. They do sometimes come up on e-bay, although usually they seem to be in America these days.
eBay item number: 301951323883 for example.
These were intended for the clamshell type mechs and allowed a modern coupling to be screwed on to the moulded in mouting. The rear of the body will need opening up a little to accomodate the wider coupling shaft, but this is barely noticeable.
Although I have never tried it, I imagine that careful surgery could be used to reduce an old style rear chassis block from a clamshell mech enough to take the modern coupling. I imagine using one of the low style coupling mounts suplied with the Bachmann Thomas series as the mounting point. I have used them elsewhere and they are very good. I guess that would be the option if it was impossible or prohibitively expensive to get the correct part.
The trouble is that there is no easy way to modify a growler chassis and I imagine that most of us would recoil at the very thought of it. Growlers are now heritage and will soon be 50 years old. They command a premium for thier status.
I like the wire loop idea mentioned above. It is probably the only way to use this loco with stock fitted with reversible modern couplings. See if you can add it without irreversible surgery.
James
