Introduction
This Sunset 3rd Rail (3-Rail) 2-6-6-6 Allegheny was purchased on eBay in March 2021.

Box information
While perusing the Zimo sound projects, I found the only Allegheny sound file that I’m aware of by Heinz Daeppen. I was very excited to try it out!
Dead Rail Conversion Outline
The dead rail conversion involved the following steps, most of which have been described in other posts:
- Removal of center-rail pick-ups
- Cutting down the 3-rail flanges on the locomotive drivers and all locomotive and tender wheels to approximate 2-rail flange profiles
- Fan-driven smoke unit installation
- Replacement of all lighting with LEDs: front/rear lights, marker lights, cabin light, and firebox glow
- Zimo MX696KS DCC decoder installation in the locomotive with a Zimo coded Allegheny sound project from Heinz Daeppen (detailed information can be found here).
- Dead rail components installation in the tender: battery, power switch, charger plug, antenna, ProMiniAir wireless receiver, and DCC amplifier
Sound Project Additions
I made the following additions to Daeppen’s superb sound project:
- F3: Turn on/off maker lights
- F4: Turn on/off the firebox light (a red LED with a random pulsing)
- F5: Turn on/off the cabin light
- F6: Turn on/off the fan-driven smoke unit
Photo Gallery of the Dead Rail Installation
















Conclusion
As the photos above attest, this dead rail conversion was not too tricky, fostered by the large size of the locomotive and tender.