Looking for a little help re shell swapping

[draskouasshat]

Sorry all.  I fixed it in my post (I think a mod had fixed it for posts after mine in any case).  Somehow turned "/i" into "/1"- and then found something that needed my attention for 6 hours....
Mea culpa.

That said, it never occurred to me that an html error in a comment would carry over to other comments after the one with the error.  I wonder if there is a way to plant "I want an ATSF 2-10-2" into everyone's signature line.

Lord knows it worked for all of the SPFs hence why its in my signature......................

[brokemoto]

The old Atlas/Kato RS3 will fit on a LL/Walthers RS2, but you'll have to add a pilot and couplers to the old shell.

The A/K RS-3 shells also will go onto the Atlas power chassis of Chinese manufacture.  You must cut out one set of cab clips, though.  In addition, you must purchase the MT pilot conversion kit for it.

The B-mann GP-7 shell will go onto the Atlas GP-7/GP-9 power chassis of Chinese manufacture.

The A/K RS-1 shell will go onto the Atlas RS-1 power chassis of Chinese manufacture.  You must separate the A/K from its walkway and retain the walkway from the locomotive of Chinese manufacture.

The TRIX Penn B-6 shell will go onto the Kato 2-6-0 chassis.  It does take a bit of work to get it to stay, though.

The MP Eight Wheeler/Mogul tender shell will go onto the B-mann SPECTRUM slope back chassis.  As the MRC/MP Eight Wheeler/Mogul now has an all wheels live tender, this has been obviated, but, if you find an older one and want to retain that small, rectangular tender, it will fit onto the B-mann slopeback chassis.  It also fits the Kato caboose chassis.


C-C RDc shells will go onto the Kato RDC power chassis.

As for same manufacturer swaps, the LL FA-2s from the plastic frame issues will fit onto the metal frame chassis, but, you must make impressions on the inside of the shell where the nubs are and make CAREFUL hollow-outs to accommodate the nubs on the power chassis.  You must take care to align the plastic frame shell properly.

I have test fit the B-mann Reading Company I-10 shell to the SPECTRUM consolidated chassis.  The fit is not bad, but it will take some work to get the shell to stay on it.

[coosvalley]

Great question!  I was wondering what else would fit the Bachmann NW2 chassis.  How about the Bachmann 70 tonner or Bachmann S4 shells?  I wonder if the Kato or Bachmann NW2 shells will fit on the Atlas MP15 chassis or the MTL SW1500 chassis?

-Hans

I'm not sure I understand what you're looking for here, a 70 tonner on a Kato NW2 chassis?..Why?..Also, not likely, the 70 tonner is much shorter.
I also do not see why you would want to put a NW2 shell on a MP15 chassis, as the MP15 has Blomberg trucks and no NW2s had those..

I also am not sure why you'd want to put either a B-mann or Kato shell on the SW1500 chassis, as I find the B-mann chassis to be the best running of the bunch. The Kato is also a good runner, but noisy.

[sumfred]

The BLI F3 "B" unit shell will fit the Kato F3-F7 "B" unit body. (Great for adding power to the "empty" BLI B units)
Fred

[vekelly09]

Maybe a little obvious, but the low-nose LL GP18 shells fit on the first and second run LL GP20 chassis, but ride just a tad higher, so a little coupler shimming is required.
I haven't tried it on the last run of the GP20s. 

vk

[babbo_enzo]

Taking the "occasion" to ask here, as ...
I've an old Halmark VO-1000 ...
The NW2 (bmann or Kato) chassis can be used to redo power on this nice brass body?

[Caddy58]

A Life-Like E6A shell will fit on a BLI E6 Frame with minimal modifications.
I created a Seaboard E6 with sound, now BLI released that engine... 


A Rivarossi 0-8-0 Tender shell will fit on a Kato Cabose Frame without modification. This will yield a smallish tender with all-wheel pickup.


Cheers
Dirk

[ryan_wilkerson]

Anyone have a Life-Like GP60 and a Fox Valley Models GP60 chassis? I'd like to know if the LL shell will fit on the FVM chassis (DCC-ready).

[Steveruger45]

I have both, I’ll go and check.
But it’s not that hard to put loksound 73100 in a non dc ready LLGP60
[ Guests cannot view attachments ]
I have posted the install for this and above is a picture of the overall installation.
No special tools needed, just a file and hacksaw and some patience.

To answer your question I have just checked it out and is as follows-
The LL shell will fit on the FVM chassis. It sits a tad high but this could be overcome by making recesses in the shell for the frame tabs that the original shell sits on. Or just remove those tabs.
 The LL non dcc ready frame is 99mm long as opposed to the FVM chassis being just shy of 92mm long.  So you can’t easily fit a FVM shell on a LL chassis.  The LL chassis is too Long at the front. Removing the extra length would undermine the forward frame half screw some if not completely.  I don’t think I would attempt that Width wise neither is a problem.
Hope this helps.

[Peter Amling]

Has anyone tried a LL E8 shell on a Kato mechanism?

[ryan_wilkerson]

Thank you Steve for taking the time to try it and document the differences.
My reason for asking is that I really like the FVM mechanism speed with a Zimo 6 pin decoder and wanted all my GP60s to run together.
-Ryan

I have both, I’ll go and check.
But it’s not that hard to put loksound 73100 in a non dc ready LLGP60

I have posted the install for this and above is a picture of the overall installation.
No special tools needed, just a file and hacksaw and some patience.

To answer your question I have just checked it out and is as follows-
The LL shell will fit on the FVM chassis. It sits a tad high but this could be overcome by making recesses in the shell for the frame tabs that the original shell sits on. Or just remove those tabs.
 The LL non dcc ready frame is 99mm long as opposed to the FVM chassis being just shy of 92mm long.  So you can’t easily fit a FVM shell on a LL chassis.  The LL chassis is too Long at the front. Removing the extra length would undermine the forward frame half screw some if not completely.  I don’t think I would attempt that Width wise neither is a problem.
Hope this helps.

[Steveruger45]

Your welcome Ryan.
Just a thought for you, which I have done albeit with ESU decoders not Zimo.
You could get the 6 pin wire harness and hard wire that to the LLGP60, the ESU one of those is about 10 bucks. Then you could plug the six pin decoder from one of your FVM locos into the LL loco after removing the dc light boards. You should be able to speed match the two different  maker locos.  If you were happy then you just need another decoder to make the LL loco upgrade permanent and modifying the dc light boards to work off the decoder.  I have already done this with my loksound and lokpilot Outfitted FVM and LL GP60’s and they play nice together in consist. I do have a speedometer which makes speed matching sooo much easier, once I have it really close with that I sometimes just have to fine tune the fwd and/or reverse trim CVs to get it right.

[ChristianJDavis1]

Has anyone tried a LL E8 shell on a Kato mechanism?

I believe the interior dimensions of the Life Like hood are too narrow to fit the Kato mechanism.

[Peter Amling]

Has anyone tried putting a BLI PA shell on a Kato PA mechanism?

[Peter Amling]

I believe the interior dimensions of the Life Like hood are too narrow to fit the Kato mechanism.

Thanks for letting me know. I thought that might be the case.