LIONEL Diesel Switcher detail MPC vs Postwar

Grampstrains posted:

This may be "hair splitting", but the Coast Guard and Navy switchers were made by LTI not MPC. Those engines had the motors in the truck, a lot of the cheaper switchers of the Post war years had plastic trucks also and they are not inter-changeable since the motors are different.

Not hair splitting at all! - Makes more sense in fact. Thanks for the info!

Should have checked my catalog collection before assuming they were MPC.

My CG shell fits on a PW frame no problem. That frame has a PW motor from a SF A unit W/magnetraction. The CG frame and can motor are in a DT&I MPC shell. I did the swap because the can motor set up is quieter, and the DT&I "belongs" on a bedroom ceiling layout where the noise goes right into the walls. I'll take a close look at the frames and get back with you on this

Different frames.

The steps are attached to the trucks on can motors and motor is 100% below the frame. Tiny holes attach the truck like a cars trucks.The steps are on the frame for Pulmor, and that motor needs a huge frame hole.

So: The shells can swap frames, the trucks can't.

The e unit may need attention to be able put the CG shell on an old frame as many are "lever up" and the CG has no slot on top. There is a lever down version.

If you hate the plastic, just paint the sideframes satin or flat black. I think there's even room to mask the things without disassembly.

The older postwar Lionel diesel switchers had metal side frames on the trucks. Late ones had plastic side frames. You can look at Tandem Associates to see which trucks any particular model had.

There were major revisions in construction over the years. Best to check the characteristics of any loco you are interested in purchasing before you move forward.