Ok...heres the deal...
I have my heierarchy all properly laid out in truespace. I convert it, I have the two objects that I wanted, ShipDetail0 and Engine01a. I set the properties on Engine01a to have a $special=subsystem. I add a subsystem called Engine01. I save the pof. I open up modelview, look at everything, its all right-looking. I put it into the table file. Open up Fred2, and put my test ship in, and I go into initial status, and in the subsystems box there is.....absolutely nothing!!!!

I open mv up, everything still looks right...

I give up and go onto hlp to ask people WHAT AM I DOING WRONG!?!?
So, WHAT AM I DOING WRONG!?!?
I am very confused about this...