MTH F7 Project

and with all the 3 rail mth out there , your converting it why?

Haven’t been able to find that one in 3 rail and it’s been on my want list.

@Peter Frenzel 010119 posted:

Haven’t been able to find that one in 3 rail and it’s been on my want list.

just keep looking,  there is so precious little in 2 rail.  if you post , which ones you Would be glad to check the ogauge shops up my way

The F7’ s were 2 and 3 rail convertible. Pickup rollers can be added and hi rail axles can be switched over from the scale ones. You will still have the fixed pilots and Kadee couplers. Many 3 rail scale operators would go this route finding it easier to switch out the axles and add the rollers rather than trying to fix the pilot and mount Kadee’s.  There should be a switch to slide to change it from 2 rail to 3.
I really have no experience as I’m really a steam guy. Yes it should be do able from what I’ve read.

Looks like this might be what you need. Not sure as to what you need for rollers or if the engine comes with them. I myself use Kadee’s and not sure if you want a coil coupler and what that involves. If you have a designated lead engine. Many prefer the look of the fixed pilot and smaller scale coupler. An 805 Kadee will mate with most 3 rail cars couplers. You could leave the Kadee’s in place as long as your running 40 ft. Freight cars on 054 or bigger curves and you should be fine. Just add a Kadee to the car behind the engine to make a transition car.

I think you need to check which year, I though MTH made some 2R Scale that are not easily convertible.   Scale wheels have their own issues too if you are a 3 rail high rail person.  G

This was catalogued 2014 V1 and is shown as - Proto-Scale 3-2 3-Rail/2-Rail Conversion capable. I have a 2 rail FM Trainmaster from this catalog that I converted to 3 rail. The pickup rollers were included with the locomotive.

How did you go about handling the conversion?

Are the 2 and 3 rail shells interchangeable? Might be easier to put those shells on an existing 3 rail chassis. JohnA

The 20-89008 kit that Dave C posted above, replaces the 2 rail axles with 3 rail axles having high rail wheels. However, it does not address the couplers. Most folks that do this simply add Kadee couplers and forgo the electro-couplers. Be aware that the pilots are fixed and as such the Kadee coupler does not swing with the trucks. A 2 rail locomotive converted to 3 rail requires wider curves due to the couplers. The locomotive you are considering calls for 31" radius as a 2 rail model, so it should be fine on O-60 or O-63. I you decide to go this route and buy the conversion kit, be sure to check that it includes 2 pairs of different axles. I bought a kit that had 3 of one axle type and 1 of the other type.