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Don't know if this questions belongs here or in the 3-Rail forum.

 

To the more experienced than I at kitbashing who happen to own the Lionel M7 cars, I have a question about the drawbars.

 

I was finally able to find and get a Metro North M7 set (NIB and got its first run on my club track today) to go along with 2 Metro North M7’s cars that I already had.  The singles that I have are the 3rd and 4th (Rear) cars in the set order and I’ve used them as a static display.  Based on what I’ve been able to surmise, the 2-Car Add-Ons (#4162, #4167) to make it a 6-car set would be inserted as the 2nd and the 5th car on the train. 

 

Until I buy the 2-car Add-On Set, I was able to use the 3rd car (#4150) as an “Add-On” to make the train a 5-car train to run this afternoon.  The 4th and last car (#4155) doesn’t have a drawbar connection at the rear end (the one with the motorman's cab), so I looked underneath the car to see if there was a way that I could make one.  Comparing the end of the end car to another one with the pin attached showed that I could unscrew the non-functional realistic looking coupler feature and place a pin in its place.  However, where the pin could go wouldn’t line up with where it is located on the cars that are made with pins and the cars would be too close together.

 

  

20150718_105338

 

 

20150718_105256

 

 

20150718_105316

 

 

 

So my questions are:

 

Is it safe to presume that the pin would be available from Lionel as a spare part?  Or should I create my own and glue it on the bottom of the car?

Or is better to drill a hole and jerry rig a pin in the correct location so that it can accept a drawbar?

 

Down the road, I would eventually like to buy a second M7 set to go along with this one and the “official” 2-car add-on to create a more realistic looking 10-car train (yes, I know the MTA runs the LIRR and Metro North as 12-car trains) and I will have to find away in order for the 2 designed #4155 rear cars to connect to each other.  The two powered units would be at each end of the train (one set in reverse)

 

Sorry for the rambling. 

Attachments

Images (3)
  • 20150718_105338
  • 20150718_105256
  • 20150718_105316
Last edited by Amfleet25124
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Kevin-

 

I was able to find the exploded parts view for the MNR/LIRR/DC Comics M-7 "A" and "B" cars on Lionel's website and have inserted it below for your reference. The bad news is Lionel does not sell the replacement drawbar pin, but it does sell the replacement drawbar on its parts site. To complicate matters the "A" car and "B" car frames are slightly different, which I believe is due to the special pilot under the cab on the "B" car. Lionel made the units as A-B pairs, so it sounds like you might have an odd "A" or "B" car in your consist which is creating the problem.

 

If I am following correctly, it sounds like you might need to swap the "B" car frame for an "A" car frame, and then install the additional drawbar pin (probably a rivet) in order to get the units to couple together. Another alternative (possibly easier) would be to eliminate the drawbar pin altogether and connect the two units using a custom fabricated drawbar.

 

"A" Car

 

"B" Car

 

 

As an aside, MNR and LIRR do not solely run 12-car M7 trains; 6, 8, or 10 car trains are also prototypical, depending on the branch, time of day, and day of the week. For example, the LIRR would usually run a 12 car train on the heavily traveled Ronkonkoma or Huntington Branch, but only 10 cars on the Port Washington Branch due to the shorter platforms. In contrast, the West Hempstead and Far Rockaway branches might see 6 or 8 car trains due to the lower ridership.

 

Hope this helps!

 

-John

Thanks for the information John.

 

Based on the images that you provided above, the "B" Car is the one with the issue at hand with Part #16 as the non-functional realistic coupler.   That is both the front end of the powered cab (#4135) and the rear end of the rear car (#4155).  It would be the coupler end of the two car #4155's that I would be trying to join together to connect both 4-car sets together.  Looks like that is not really possible.  If I were to create an 8-car train, the two #4155's would be sitting on the sidelines and I would have to use the #4162 and #4167 Add Ons.

 

I've inserted below a drawing that I did on Excel on what I believe is how all of the cars are connected.  The lines descending from each car represent the pins and the Blue represents the "Motorman/Conductor" cab.

 

Lionel M7 Metro North Consist [Designed 4-car)

Lionel M7 Metro North Consist [Presumed 6-car with Add-Ons)

Lionel M7 Metro North Consist [5-car @ Club)

 

  

On the aside about the 12-car trains.  I guess that my thought came from what I apparently incorrectly remembered while riding the M3's in the 1980s and 1990s and from the YouTube videos, where it seems that all the ones I watch have 10-12 car consists.

Attachments

Images (3)
  • Lionel M7 Metro North Consist (Designed 4-car)
  • Lionel M7 Metro North Consist (Presumed 6-car with Add-Ons)
  • Lionel M7 Metro North Consist (5-car @ Club)
Last edited by Amfleet25124
Originally Posted by Amfleet25124:

Thanks for the information John.

 

Based on the images that you provided above, the "B" Car is the one with the issue at hand with Part #16 as the non-functional realistic coupler.   That is both the front end of the powered cab (#4135) and the rear end of the rear car (#4155).  It would be the coupler end of the two car #4155's that I would be trying to join together to connect both 4-car sets together.  Looks like that is not really possible.  If I were to create an 8-car train, the two #4155's would be sitting on the sidelines and I would have to use the #4162 and #4167 Add Ons.

 

I've inserted below a drawing that I did on Excel on what I believe is how all of the cars are connected.  The lines descending from each car represent the pins and the Blue represents the "Motorman/Conductor" cab.

 

Lionel M7 Metro North Consist [Designed 4-car)

Lionel M7 Metro North Consist [Presumed 6-car with Add-Ons)

Lionel M7 Metro North Consist [5-car @ Club)

 

  

On the aside about the 12-car trains.  I guess that my thought came from what I apparently incorrectly remembered while riding the M3's in the 1980s and 1990s and from the YouTube videos, where it seems that all the ones I watch have 10-12 car consists.

I think in your middle drawing the 4145 and 4150 should be swapped in the order. The B ends of the cars should be together and the A ends should meet together. I really don't understand why Lionel is offering these M7s as odd numbered sets like they are now with the current catalog set of 3 cars.

Originally Posted by Silver Lake:

I think in your middle drawing the 4145 and 4150 should be swapped in the order. The B ends of the cars should be together and the A ends should meet together. I really don't understand why Lionel is offering these M7s as odd numbered sets like they are now with the current catalog set of 3 cars.

 

Thanks, I will make that change.

 

I'm with you on the new 3-car M7 sets that Lionel is offering.  I'm guessing that the 3-car sets are "unfortunately " selling well, which means Lionel will continue to produce them as such.  

 

The Batman sets don't interest me, but with the new LionChief M7 Set being a 3-car set, it looks like that odd-numbered set is here to stay.  If anything, I was hoping that Lionel would have built a 2 car Add-On set for the Candy Cane M7 Express, as that 2-car train is just too short. 

I always thought these were a poor effort, even as a minimal price-point starter set.

 

Better than nothing, yes, but between being intentionally designed as non-expandable beyond the initial add-on, and the single-motored power car, the set looks like about the most minimal-cost effort to satisfy some condition of the MTA license.

 

One gets the impression that had the competition made this set, it would at least have twin motors in the power car, or at absolute minimum, designed the "A" ends of the cars so two or more sets could be linked together. I once thought about making up a semi-functional MU coupler+drawbar and a slotted replacement pilot to retrofit the set I have, so a second power car could be added to the consist, but the odd number of cars in the LionChief set put that initiative on the back burner.

 

---PCJ

StillPlaysWithTrains1469 posted:

A tad off topic but still relevant, how do we like the MTA M7 set?? I'm actually heavily considering purchasing the unit. Do you have to control the train with the new remote system or can you use a standard W80 transformer?

Also, how much pep does the locomotive have? I heard it was lacking a little

I love my M7 Metro North Set.  

If you get the older versions (both versions of the LIRR and the Lionel 6-30085 Metro North) those are operated via the standard transformer.  If you get the new LionChief Metro North set, it will only operate via the remote control that it comes with. 

All versions of the M7 are underpowered as the powered car only has one motor.  One would think that when Lionel came back with the LionChief versions it would at least make it a dual motor, but no.  With 6 cars, the trainset starts off slowly (which actually makes it looks prototypical) before picking up steam.  If you try to run 8 cars on one locomotive, the trainset will not move anywhere. You would want to modify the drawbars on one of the cars so that you can run the trainset with two locomotive cars as in this YouTube video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?...tUlKpVXYGPWiDBVKaQjW

I would like for Lionel will come out with a LionChief version of the LIRR also, but I'm not holding my breath.

Last edited by Amfleet25124

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